Must-read on the Palin selection

Ron Fournier of AP has an excellent piece on how McCain’s pick - a “risky choice” - of the uber-inexperienced Palin renders his campaign’s consistent charges of drastic inexperience on Obama’s part useless. Useless!

John McCain’s risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to “hockey moms” and other women, and counters Barack Obama’s aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat. 

If Obama is an empty suit, as McCain has suggested, is Palin suited for the Oval Office herself?

She is younger and less experienced than the first-term Illinois senator, and brings an ethical shadow to the ticket. A governor for just 20 months, she was two-term mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of 6,500 where the biggest issue is controlling growth and the biggest civic worry is whether there will be enough snow for the Iditarod dog-mushing race.

“On his 72nd birthday, is this really the one-heartbeat-away he wants to put in the White House?” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the No. 3 Democrat in the House. “What does this say about his judgment?”

It says that McCain wanted to add a reform-minded politician to his ticket, and an abortion opponent to boot. It says he needs more women to back him over Obama, who just welcomed a passel of Hillary Clinton voters into his fold but remains shaky with white males. And, finally, it’s a recognition of how vulnerable McCain is despite polls showing it’s close.

He put his money down on a darkhorse to try to change the race.

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