"You Haven't Beaten Me; You've Sacrificed Sure Footing For a Killing Stroke!"

So J-Mac choose Gov. Sarah Palin to run with him against the duo of Obama and Biden. A surprise, to be sure, but then there are some things to consider:

1. It will be hard for John McCain to explain how Barack Obama is not qualified to be president when McCain has selected a person who has barely two years of executive experience to be his "What If" replacement. Especially considering that her state, while big in size, is not big in population.
2. People who wanted Hillary Clinton to be president because they wanted Hillary to be president will not be persuaded by this choice to vote for McCain.
3. People who wanted Hillary Clinton to be president because they supported her issues will not be persuaded by this choice to vote for McCain.
4. Much like Joe Biden addresses/reveals Obama's lack of foreign policy experience, Palin addresses/reveals McCain's lack of youth.
5. Unlike Obama choosing Biden, it's hard to say that McCain had much input in choosing Palin...this reeks of the result of bending to the will of social conservatives and Rush Limbaugh.
6. Palin has the unenviable task of juggling the image of being a staunch, hard-nosed politician with being a caring, sympathetic woman. That's hard enough in the Democratic Party (just ask H. Clinton) let alone for the GOP, where their motto is practically, "Only Conservatives Need Apply."
7. Just like there are people who won't vote for Obama because he is bi-racial, there are people who will not vote for a woman. More often than not, those types of people are the same. McCain may have effectively sacrificed some once-committed voters in order to grab the attention of some frustrated uncommitted voters (for example).
8. Oh yeah, Palin is currently under investigation, so the whole "Cleaning Up Washington" meme (wait, I thought George W. Bush was supposed to do that?) can't really be used.
9. If I haven't stressed this enough, let me say it straight: Sarah Palin is the anti-Hillary.