Palin

I have to admit, I'm a bit baffled by McCain's decision to name Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

The obvious answer is that he's hoping to lure Clinton supporters. For some people who were only going to support Hillary because she was female... that might work.

But McCain's campaign has relied heavily on pointing out Obama's lack of experience in Washington, and Palin is a first term governor with only two years experience in that office. If experience is a key point of McCain's campaign, then why bring on someone with no national experience to be your running mate?

Obama is heavily stressing the environment in his campaign, and Palin is married to an oil production operator and vocally supports drilling in the Alaskan wilderness.

McCain keeps trying to distance himself from the image of continuing business as usual in Washington, and he chooses a running mate with direct family ties to the oil industry.

Palin won the Governorship based on ethics reform, and yet a staff member of hers tried to get her ex-brother-in-law fired off the police force during a bitter custody trial. She claims that she had nothing to do with it, but the whole thing rings of "will no one rid me of this troublesome priest" to me.

Of course, this doesn't even begin to raise the point that Alaska, saddled with deeply corrupt politicians, finally elects someone who promises to turn the state around... and essentially jumps ship on the state during her first term to run for Vice-President.