I've already said that I believe the Palin pick was a poor one for McCain. He needed to pick someone who could step in as President at a moments notice--someone who would give confidence to peoples concerns about McCain's age, his real political blind spot. It was a risky move, a potentially high-risk, high reward type of move, but it was ultimately a dumb gamble for McCain. If he wanted to make a play for women and conservative voters, he could have picked any number of conservative women who are far more qualified for the job, including Kay Bailey Hutchinson or Elizabeth Dole. Safe VP picks are always the best. In Palin's case, she clearly doesn't have the knowledge or the experience to even serve as a capable commander in chief. Remember that the main job of a Vice President is to be ready at a moments notice to take over. Now if Palin studies hard and gets good advisors, which given the people she has surrounded herself thus far is a doubtful prospect, she might do just ok. Let's hope that she doesn't have to step in as President at a moments notice. She does have some political talents, I won't deny that, but she's clearly not ready to govern on such a big stage.

What really troubles me the most is her extreme lack of knowledge of basic constitutional and public policy issues. Just the other day she demonstrated that once again. Palin gave a radio interview where she said that she feared that her 1st Amendment rights were being threatened by reporters who are suggested that she is slinging mud at Obama over his ties to William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright. This isn't about McCain's campaign tactics--I think that attacks of that sort are fair game here. Rather it is her suggestion that her 1st Amendment rights are being violated by the press!

This is part of Palin's conversation: "If the media convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations, then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."

Palin actually has this completely backwards! The 1st Amendment guarantees Freedom of the Press. So when the press criticizes a political candidate, this is actually a case where the 1st Amendment is being EXERCISED, not VIOLATED. It's fine for her to say that the press is in the tank for Obama, if that's her belief, more power to her, but don't say that your 1st Amendment rights to free speech are being violated. No one is putting a gag order on her or anything (unless the McCain campaign is doing so!!). Any criticism is fair game in my view, but what Palin is saying essentially is that the Founders intended for the 1st Amendment to be used as a means to restrict criticism of politicians vying for the highest office in the land in the media. Not only does such a sentiment belie a lack of knowledge of basic constitutional matters (well, she's the one who also said that the Vice President "runs" the Senate!), but it also demonstrates her high-handed view of Executive Power. If you take Palin at her word, the 1st Amendment was designed to ensure that the President should not be attacked in the press for what he/she says.

Just when you think you haven't heard it all! Frankly it's very hard for me to take Sarah Palin seriously.

Smart move, McLame!

Perhaps McCain should have given this just a bit more thought?

Anonymous e-mail message:

<<< While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75-year old Texas rancher whose hand was caught in a gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Sarah Palin and her bid to be a heartbeat away from being President.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a post turtle."

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a post turtle was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle."

The old rancher saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, she doesn't know what to do while she is up there, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put her up there to begin with."  >>>

Let's wait a little while longer before we judge. She got thrown to the wolves rather quickly. Let's see how she does in the debate, etc. At least she has a good record in the past, has anyone actually paid attention to Bacrock Obama's voting record in the senate? That's what I thought.

Even when republicans want her to step aside, people are still trying to pretend that this woman is qualified to do anything but lecture others about morality and the flag whilst failing to keep her own house in order.  And the press has spared this dumb cow. . .could you imagine if we were talking about a medieval forced political marriage between Obama or Hillarys' slut-child?  Palin has been treated far too lenient by the press because she isn't as relevant as her fans or detractors would believe.  Who cares about VP debates?  Bentson killed Quayle and what difference did that make?  Sad attempt to blame 'the media' as a last-ditch effort by the McCain camp.  What on earth happened to the McCain of 2000?

Not sure how exactly this equates to a personal attribute of John McCain unless it is meant to be indicative of a history of choosing mates that look good in a skirt.

  Excellent but risky choice.  She is the rainmaker.  McCain wins or loses on her.  My unsolicited advice to Sarah Palin, in preparation for tonight's VP Debate/Ideological Primetime Extravaganza Showdown:  don't let these pinheaded liberal weenies and slur masters get you down.  Do your debate prep looking forward to pulling Biden's pants down to his ankles for all of America to see, recounting gaffe after gaffe after example of blatant plagiarism after example of phoney bravado (which suddenly seems epidemic among the party of mules)  giving your allies in talk radio at least a dozen cogent sound bites with which to ridicule Joe Biden and liberal logic (is that an oxymoron?)  with humor, showing America what a wrong-headed empty suit he is, and by association, Barack Obama is.

Use each of these terms at least fifty times: liberal, irresponsible spending, low approval ratings, strong military, advocates of a disastrous pullout, surge critics against all evidence, liberal voting record, gun grabbers, collapsing the economy and devastating tax increase.  Bring a 3 X 5 card with you. 

And do not, under any circumstances, mention the liberal attack and slur machine you have witnessed over these past few weeks.  You stick to the script and the American people will figure the rest out.  John McCain's success in November will depend more on your performance tonight than any other single event or speech.  Keep it simple.  Keep it direct.  Stay focused.  We'll see if Gwen Ifill can put her Obama pom-poms away for 90 minutes.  That is doubtful to me, but focus is everything and your ability to focus has carried you this far, it will continue to serve you well.

Cute and conservative...Just the kind of change we were looking for!

I don't think that she is a good choice; however, the Democrats are trying hard to make her a sympathetic figure.  With all the stridency floating around, the donkeys might get the job done.

Its probably not the slam dunk some think it to be nor the disaster that others make it out to be. My adivice to both sides is to watch their asses in regards to all that surrounds her.

I believe the choice of Sarah Palin was a prescient choice, showing McCain's intelligence and good reasoning skills. Palin will help McCain's presidency in many regards.