VP for McCain

The pick of Gov. Palin is one that surprised me. His campaign is not currently facing the huge disadvantages faced by Mondale when he made a similar pick of an obscure female politician in 1984. I mentioned to a friend that perhaps McCain is picking her because she successfully ran her campaign railing against corruption. He pointed out her current nepotism scandal, however I assumed the campaign vetted her in connection to this and other issues. Apparently, that wasn't the case, which makes this even riskier.

Imagine her image as a reformer being dismantled weeks before the election. Instead of looking like a maverick Republican, she may look like a corrupt, big city mayor. Perhaps this pick portrays a bit of arrogance on behalf of McCain since it is a pick that is meant to throw a bone to the base rather than independents. The arrogance is in McCain thinking that he has the right stuff to sway the independents in spite of this VP pick.

UPDATE:

Her daughter is knocked up, which may provide a temporary sympathy swing, especially given that some on the left have been behaving in a sleazy manner with all the rumors. However, it is just another episode of the constant cuts that have inflicted her since the announcement. After a while, the cuts add up.