The liberal netroots is falling into a huge trap. Given how "Juno" was adored on the right (now it will be Juneau), there is absolutely nothing to be gained in talking about the private, personal choices of Sarah or Bristol Palin. Her flight from TX and Bristol's decision are none of our business and are irrelevant.
What we should do is demand that Sarah Palin go on the Sunday talk shows beginning this Sunday and subject herself for the first time in her friggin' career to wide-ranging questions from national journalists.
That demand will resonate with the key independent and undecided voters who like Palin's personality and image but who don't want a complete lightweight. They want to see her put through the paces.
Part of me thinks that if Tim Russert were still alive, the cynics who convinced McCain to pick Palin would have failed, because they know Russert would not be afraid to be perceived as a bit of a bully in taking her on.
Many of us had qualms with Russert -- I sure did -- but I honestly think that he would have rightly felt it to be part of his duty to the country to "vet" Palin for the public in a way that McCain sure as hell didn't. And McCain's operatives would have known it.
Still, Stephanopoulos has become a tougher questioner and has tripped up a few unprepared pretenders himself. Heck I'd even like to see Chris Wallace have a go.
So let's channel our energies to a campaign of demanding that Sarah submit to a real, non-People, non-ET interview.
And we should write to the big Sunday shows and tell them that they should not put on any McCain operatives like Lindsey Graham or Joe Lieberman to speak for McCain unless they get a firm commitment that Palin will come on within 2 weeks.
I say this not as an Obama supporter (which I am) but because I actually think that if McCain wins and then dies, our country could be in the hands of a complete goofball. If she knows she's one, she will subcontract her office to an unelected Rasputin-type figure (Cheney redux?). If she does not know she's a goofball, she will make the decisions herself, which could be even worse.
She may turn out to be a diamond in the rough - someone who is as quick a study as Obama. I highly highly doubt it, but if she's a nincompoop the voters should know it and McCain should know it so that he can do an Eagleton if need be for the good of the country.