Dateline: Engelwood, Colorado-8/28/08–9:12 AM Mountain Time
One of the paradoxes of political conventions is how much they tend to cut one off from political news. I haven't read a paper of watched TV in days, so perhaps I've missed something.
Why would McCain pick Sarah Palin? Even her name suggests something out of Monty Python? Does she make McCain look more like a lumberjack and less like a dead parrot? I think it confirms my suspicion that McCain is channeling Basil Fawlty.
Surely, the unique characteristic she brings to the ticket (shared by over half the population) could be found among someone more qualified in the 49 other states (and even in Alaska). Perhaps, he’s looking to create contrast with the Democrats by showing that, on his ticket, all the gravitas resides firmly with the Presidential candidate.
As I pointed out the other day, Alaska has only three electoral votes, and hasn’t gone Democratic for President since 1964, and since then, Democrats have sometimes managed to place third.
Perhaps McCain is betting that Palin’s coattails will help save his old Senate buddy, Ted “I can get it for you wholesale” Stevens.
Loyal to the end.