Well, it’s been a good week or so for those of us in the R column. And, as of yet, the best dirt the reporters can dig up on Palin isn’t sticking, unless you count the strange developing story that she might have “cheated” in the Miss Alaska pageant (just some rumor floating around).
My take on this: Obama made a huge mistake not picking Hillary Clinton. Hillary can go out as the attack dog against Palin now, but not the *VP* attack dog, so she’s really hobbled. I know a lot of people were hoping for an Obama/Clinton ticket and I must honestly say, I’m sorry it didn’t happen. It would have given the Democrats a far better shot at the election. Joe Biden is an old-guard blowhard who’s, up until now, had pretty much great things to say about John McCain. I see the strategy in picking him, but McCain’s higher-risk choice of Palin shows that risks often carry rewards.
This time around, the debates may actually matter. Which actually bothers me a little, that there are still people around who are “on the fence” between Obama and McCain. Say what you will about either candidate, but it’s pretty clear now what their policies will be (in vague terms, but enough vague terms spoken over time add up to something resembling a consistent policy promise).
As for whether or not McCain’s bounce will last, it’s too early to tell. But the Obama campaign does need to do something that will slow Republican momentum or risk having to play catch-up for a lot longer (perhaps all the way) than they’d like to.
Things sure just got a lot more interesting, though. And as a conservative, I applaud McCain’s pick not because of her gender, but because of her various stances on the issues. McCain has made the base very happy, and that is indeed crucial.
None of this brings Tom Brady, back, though, and that’s a damn shame.
