The Pain of Failin' With McCain-Palin

Senator McCain has selected Alaska's Governor, Sarah Palin, to be his running mate in his bid for the Presidency.

Mrs. Palin is the former mayor of the town of Wasilla, Alaska, pop. 8500, and now Alaska's governor. She is staunchly conservative. She believes that women should not be allowed to have abortions.

This choice of a woman as running mate is thought by some to be an attempt to capture into the Republican Party those Hillary Clinton supporters who are unhappy with Barack Obama. How many voters will excuse Palin's conservatism because of her womanhood seems uncertain.

So perhaps she fulfills another purpose.

Were McCain to have selected a man, then people would automatically compare them. McCain isn't very tall, and his veep would ideally need to be shorter. If his veep were younger, then McCain's age could become an issue. People would compare hair.

This leaves the feminine gender. Palin has the virtue of not being a man.

Mrs. Palin herself being a relative political ingenue, McCain's criticism of Obama's lack of long-term experience will now fall hollow. Palin could so easily succede this 72-year old man and herself become the first woman president. Whether she has what is needed will be a big question.