Rumor is that Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska (yes, Alaska) will be McCain’s running mate, and some “sources” are starting to confirm this.
On the surface, it looks like a good pick. You’ll hear the pundits say that Biden can’t go for the jugular, that it may take Hillary people away from Obama, helps solidify McCain’s persona as an independent…
But three things, quickly:
- It undercuts any and all of the “Obama = not ready to lead” messaging. Done, kaput.
- I don’t buy the “Obama can’t say she has no experience!” thing. Obama has a lifetime of experience when compared to a governor of ONE YEAR. And before this, she was the mayor of a town of approximately 8,000 people.
- People know John McCain is really, really old. People want to be assured that, should his health decline, we’d be taken care of. What it ends up doing is that it makes McCain seem like a risky pick, too. Any and all indications that I’ve been getting suggest that people go to McCain because they view Obama as risky. Add this to the mix, and everyday people will see this as a risky move, too — they’re gambling on McCain’s health.
The McCain campaign has just doubled-down on McCain’s age, which is a huge concern for voters. I don’t think it’s smart, and I think this “hail mary” is going to backfire.
