Look, I don't know much about Sarah Palin, though she struck me as a promising rising star in GOP politics. But as Vice President right now? It is, at best, a hamfisted play for disgruntled Hillary voters. She lacks experience, which undercuts McCain's central argument for the presidency. I wonder how much of this was about making sure that Alaska remains out of play this year, which was beginning to look questionable (and still is, for my money). It feels like a dramatic pick that will give McCain a bit of media attention, and it's the first time the GOP hasn't opted for a white dude for national office (though Palin will not be the first female VP candidate, of course). And every media report will talk about her lack of experience.
This feels like an image-conscious pick all the way. McCain wanted to appeal to some older women, and this might be worth a few points in that demo. Coupled with a one-term pledge which would mean Palin would be fronting a national ticket in four years might win him a few more of those ninety-year-old ladies that voted for Hillary because they wanted to see a woman in the White House in their lifetimes. Andrew Sullivan is apoplectic, unfavorably contrasts McCain's pick with Obama's selection of Biden and says that McCain doesn't take national security seriously. I don't disagree with that. Noah Millman over at The American Scene is pleased and sees this as a game-changer. I think it might be, but not in the way he thinks: the backlash potential is enormous here, and the most notable think about Palin is her gender, so if it becomes CW that McCain picked a woman largely for the sake of picking a woman (and an untested one at that) he could be in some serious trouble.
Matt Yglesias agrees with me, which is always nice. The media will probably like it, though.
