As Far As You Know

Republican presidential candidate John McCain surprised the pundits and the American people with his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate. The little-known Alaska governor was a bold choice, one that will be seen as either brilliant or bone-headed a couple months from now. She certainly will shore up McCain's support among the right wing of the GOP, but I'm less certain her presence on the ticket will enable the Republicans to attract the support of Hillary Clinton backers, which I think was the real goal in this selection. It will certainly be a lot harder for his opponents to criticize Senator Obama as too inexperienced, given the remarkable lack of seasoning Palin offers for one potentially just a heartbeat away from the presidency.