Now that it's been established beyond a reasonable doubt that Sarah Palin was a pathetic pick, so much so that GOP talking head Tucker Bounds can barely assemble a complete sentence in her defense; now that it's been established, moreover, that there was as good as zero vetting of Sarah Palin prior to the announcement of her vice-presidential candidacy (see the top story in this morning's NYT); now that we know that McCain's first choice for a running mate was not Sarah Palin but Joe Lieberman; perhaps now it's time to leave poor Bristol and Levi in peace and to focus instead on the political forces that prompted John McCain to ditch his preferred running mate in Palin's favor.
There's been talk in the blogosphere about a revolt among the GOP state chairmen against having Lieberman on the ticket; there's also been talk that the paramount chiefs of the religious right presented McCain with an ultimatum to the effect that they would publicly withdraw their support from McCain if he chose Lieberman as his running mate. If either or both of these things are true, they reflect poorly on John McCain, his strength as a leader, and his credibility as a "maverick."
The evident nonchalance with which McCain chose Palin has been striking from the start, and I've not bought into the argument that it somehow reflects a risk-taking impulse on McCain's part. The guy may be a risk-taker, but he's not an idiot, and the choice of Sarah Palin is plainly idiotic. Nor is he rash, and the choice of Sarah Palin was manifestly rash. So: what made McCain do such a rash and stupid thing? Did the paramount chiefs of the religious right give him no other choice? Or was it a rebellion by the state GOP heads? Either way, how does it reflect on his leadership, judgment, and character?