My take

I have been chewing on the Palin pick for a couple of days now. The most effective thing it has done it has froze everthing. So many people are so confused by it they are trying to process all the angles.


If this is truly a play for disillusioned Hillary supporters, and I am not convinced it is, I don't thinks this is going to work. Most Hillary supporters were so loyal to her due to thier sharing her journey over the last many years. They also felt comforted by what they felt was her fighting spirit in the latter parts of the primary. These two factors are not transferrable to another person. Those who were so loyal to Hillary as a result of thier feminist beliefs will find nothing comforting in Palin's policy positions. What is more I tend to believe the most strident Hillary supporters, not simply Obama haters, are going to be insulted. They truly felt that Hillary had earned the nomination. One may be able to argue that point but they believed it. This is one reason why the entitlement aspect of her campaign was so powerfull early in the campaign. She earned, she deserved it, it was her turn. Now there is a chance that some other woman is going to get it simply becuase a man deemed it so. I personally find it insulting and I was never a Hillary supporter.

Now what I believe the real purpose of the pick is a couplefold.
First and maybe most important to McCain's ego it is an attempt to reestablish the Maverick persona. Let's face it by any objective over the last couple of years McCain has fallen in lock step with the right wing power base. This is the base that chewed him and spit him out 8 years ago. He had to tow the line to win this nomination and the perception that he has lost his independance and edge was definately taking hold. McCain thinks he is being clever and calculated because this pick may have the short term effect of both reigniting the right wing base and reinforcing his maverick message. Palin's staunch pro-life, anti-global warming and other standard position has indeed put a burst into the right wing machine.

After a couple of days attempting to examine this objectively this pick may reexcite the rightwing base but I think it may well back fire on the other goal. Carefull examination allows one to determine that this was politically calculated pick. This is so counter to what he has been hypocritically preach about Obama. "He would rather lose a war and win an election". Does this pick mean McCain would rather win an election then hire the most qualified or even a qualified candidate. This pick also calls into question his judgement and temperment in making his most important decision to date. One keeps hearing how this pick is a gamble. One question is all one needs to ask. If we are in such a terrible clash of good vs. evil, democracy vs. terror, etc. does America need to take this kind of gamble. It is okay for him to risk his campaign, it is not ok for him to risk our security.

There is one final consideration that may be in play. One has to look at this very skepitcally. It is possible that the McCain camp knew that the media and the Obama campaign would jump all over the obvious, which is her lack of foreign affiars qualification. They may be thinking that as long as the next 65 days are about who is the most qualified to keep us safe McCain will win.