The Monkey and I made some pretty bold predictions this year that turned out to be true:

1) that Barack Obama would win the Presidency in a landslide, and

2) in so doing, he would rewrite the red state/blue state electoral map.

With the confidence boost at our heels that only presaging political events accurately can provide, we are making some other predictions for the years to come.

1) Sarah Palin will not be the Party’s nomination for President in 2012.

2) Neither will Mike Huckabee.

3) If Mitt Romney wins the nomination, he will lose the Presidency, due to the MiMM Universal Axiom of Presidential Politics, which states: voters will decide the Presidency based on two factors: likeability and familiarity, with likeability trumping familiarity.

4) If Louisiana Governor Piyush “Bobby” Jindal enters the race, he will win the nomination and pose the biggest challenge to President Barack Obama. Jindal has strong conservative credibility, established legislative and executive experience, and a phenomenal academic resume, but his likeability and intellect, two traits in a Republican challenger that a President Obama will make virtually imperative in 2012, will catapult him ahead of GOP challengers and make him more appealing to the broader electorate.

We have learned many things over the course of the 2008 election cycle, and one of these things is the fact that in the current political climate, viable candidates cannot just appeal to their base. A political candidate of either Party must have crossover appeal if that candidate intends to be successful. This fundamental truth is even more evident during election cycles in which one particular Party has a branding problem, as was the case in 2008 for the GOP. If President Obama is successful in office, a Republican will have as difficult a time in challenging him for the post as John McCain did in attempting to follow up GWB’s disastrous run of Republican rule.

In fact, Obama’s potential success may indicate at least one caveat to my prediction about Jindal: if Obama does enjoy high job approval, Jindal at his young age may be wise to sit 2012 out and make the rest of the Republican field battle it out amongst themselves in what would be perhaps a futile attempt to unseat a potentially extremely popular President.

And yet Jindal’s strong suits cannot be overlooked or underestimated. The son of Indian immigrants, Jindal is a Brown University graduate and a Rhodes Scholar. He has business experience working for McKinsey & Company, the elite consulting firm. He served in the US House of Representatives and is currently a very popular Governor of Louisiana. These credentials will appeal to a broad spectrum of voters, while his stern pro-life stance will certainly energize the GOP base. With the American Electorate demonstrating their openness to diversity in the office of the Presidency, his non-white racial background would unlikely be detrimental, and possibly a huge bonus and opporunity for the Republicans to lay claim to the banner of diversity within their ranks. His youth and lack of extensive political experience beyond a single term in the Governor’s office in Louisiana and a single term in the House of Representatives have already been mitigated by the very fact that Obama received a majority of the vote in 2008, even with relatively light experience, in comparison to his rivals.  And also like Obama, his life story is an “only in America” tale of the offspring of immigrants pulling himself up by the bootstraps and making it in a big way in American politics and rewriting the unwritten rules of Louisiana politics that would be sure to inspire a whole new generation of voters and Americans with and without conservative political leanings.

The “will she or won’t she” questions surrounding Sarah Palin and her intentions for 2012 are likely nothing more than distractions that the establishment within the GOP will capitalize on for as long as they are reaping a reward.  In other words, for as long as she is drawing crowds and attracting attention for a failing and struggling brand, they will allow and encourage her to remain in the spotlight.  Her lack of broad political experience, introspection, and fresh ideas will eventually reveal her to be nothing more than footnote in history. The Republicans are desperately in need of substance within their ranks. This time, in 2012, they will have to take a page out of the Democratic playbook a find a candidate that combines fresh ideas with charisma. As demonstrated by the fervor and excitement surrounding Obama’s election, American voters are starving to be inspired, to be moved, to be energized. Their candidate in 2012 needs to do all of the above, and it wouldn’t hurt to bring a few new ideas to the table, along with the ability to string together coherent sentences.

The Handshake Says It All

During the opening half of the debate Lehrer attempted to encourage the candidates to comment upon the proposed Wall Street bailout “Splurge” to no true avail. Both Palin’s Running Mate and Obama sidestepped any specifics on the plan as it currently stands, nor could either of them provide a context for how this current financial “crisis” would impact their Presidencies, other than Palin’s Running Mate calling for a spending freeze on all initiatives other than defense, the veterans administration, and entitlement programs.

When it came to foreign policy, the proposed focus of the encounter, Obama held his own in an arena that his opponent has traditionally enjoyed a distinct advantage.

In more abstract terms, Obama appeared charming, smiled at the right time, and remained respectful of his opponent and his views. Palin’s Running Mate, on the otherhand, appeared to evidence disdain for Obama throughout the course of the discussion, chiding him frequently for not understanding the ways of the world, specifically Obama’s definition of tactics versus strategy, as well as his intention to speak with foreign leaders, particularly foreign dictators. Even before the debate began, Palin’s Running Mate seemed to brush off a warm handshake from Obama and appeared to avert his gaze from looking Obama in the eye during their greeting. Later, after the debate, it was Obama who initiated walking back over to Cindy McCain and her husband to ostensibly introduce the wives. Throughout the affair, Obama showed little emotion or reaction to his opponent’s patronizing tone, which should sit well with undecided voters, according to the MonkeyInMyMind Universal Maxim of Presidential Politics, espoused by the Monkey and myself, which states that voters will vote for candidates they like and candidates they know, with likeability trumping familiarity. Obama remained likeable throughout the evening, which should result in a larger bounce as the new poll numbers begin to surface.

Given that Obama’s polling numbers have stepped ahead of his opponents’ during this week of financial turmoil, Palin’s Running Mate could hardly afford a tie in this first encounter, and despite the spin of both campaigns claiming victory for their candidate, a tie in a debate covering Palin’s Running Mate’s strongest suit, plus the impending shattering defeat of Sarah Palin herself at the hands of Joe Biden during the Vice Presidential debate to be held on October 2nd, equals a widening lead for Barack Obama as we head into the final countdown of this Presidential Campaign.

Sarah Palin, who was briefly the GOP Candidate’s ace in the hole is now his Sword of Damocles. Her Running Mate will have a daunting task ahead of him indeed to recover from the damage she will soon inflict to his chances next week in St. Louis.

In case you’ve only heard about the idiocies Ms. Palin spouted off to CBS News’ Katie Couric, now you can see them for yourself:

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]]> http://monkeyinmymind.com/2008/09/27/first-debate-tie-palin-obama-bounce/feed/ 0 http://monkeyinmymind.com/2008/09/14/despite-national-polls-obama-still-squeaks-by-palins-running-mate-in-electoral-college/ http://monkeyinmymind.com/2008/09/14/despite-national-polls-obama-still-squeaks-by-palins-running-mate-in-electoral-college/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:47:14 +0000 The Monkey http://monkeyinmymind.com/?p=368 simultaneous state elections, in which districts and precincts matter more than national averages. Because of this, Obama still maintains the advantage, even if the election were to be held today, based on recent state polls.]]>

Sarah Palin Looking All Vice Presidential

The old adage that VP candidates should do less harm than any real good seems to be in jeopardy at this point in the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Sarah Palin’s addition to the ticket has not only electrified the Republican base, but has also propelled her running mate ahead of Barack Obama in national polls. While previously, national polls putting Obama ahead of Palin’s running mate were discounted by the Palin Running Mate Campaign, now these polls suddenly seem to matter and the campaign is beginning to step with a little swagger towards the finish line, which is now just under 50 days away.

Too bad for the Palin Running Mate Campaign that the United States electoral system is not a national race, but instead, a collection of “winner take all” simultaneous state elections, in which districts and precincts matter more than national averages. Because of this, Obama still maintains the advantage, even if the election were to be held today, based on recent state polls.

The Monkey Wrong In Landslide Victory Prediction?

Possible to Predict?

Several months ago I wrote a post in which I used primary results as a means to predict the national election in November. With the phenomenal voter turnout on the Democratic side, I predicted that not only would Barack Obama be elected the 44th President of the United States, but also that he would win the Presidency in an Electoral-map shifting landslide.

Of course my Monkey’s Eye View never predicted that Sarah Palin’s current Running Mate would ultimately choose her, due to her glaring lack of experience. Instead, I thought the Palin Running Mate campaign would make a big hubbub of considering a woman Governor for VP, but would ultimately go with someone with a tad more gravitas, like Condoleeza Rice, who would also have both the African American thing and the woman thing covered in one fail swoop.

What we failed to realize back in February was just how energized the Palin Running Mate campaign would be at this point. The incredible enthusiasm behind Sarah Palin’s selection has certainly shifted the balance of the race and significantly altered the conversation, especially with her ability to attract the 30% of the electorate who still thinks George Bush is handling his instructions from heaven well and the Christian Fundamentalists who seemed to be on the verge of sitting this one out, but ultimately I still believe Obama will win the day and here’s how:

A State By State Look at 2008

Oddly enough, with the new electoral map currently being rewritten by the Obama campaign, it is actually possible for him to win the Presidency without either Ohio or Florida. The following is a state by state breakdown, using the latest polling data (most of these polls concluded on Sept. 10th).

Obama Will Win:

Illinois: 21 votes

Connecticut: 7 votes

New York: 31 votes

California: 55 votes

Maine: 4 votes

Massachusetts: 12 votes

Hawaii: 4 votes

Vermont: 3 votes

Delaware: 3 votes

Rhode Island: 4 votes

Washington, DC: 3 votes

Maryland: 10 votes

Total: 157 votes locked up

Obama Will Likely Win:

Iowa: 7 votes (Obama’s polling ahead by 9 points)

Oregon: 7 votes (7 point lead)

Minnesota: 10 votes (7 point lead)

New Jersey: 15 votes (6 point lead)

Wisconsin: 10 votes (5 point lead)

Washington: 11 votes (5 point lead)

New Hampshire: 4 votes (3 point lead)

New Mexico: 5 votes (2 point lead)

Pennsylvania: 21 votes (2 point lead)

Michigan: 17 votes (2 point lead)

Colorado: 9 votes (2 point lead)

Nevada: 5 votes (1 point behind)

Total: 278 Electoral Vote

Palin’s Running Mate Will Win:

Arizona: 10 votes

Alabama: 9 votes

Tennessee: 11 votes

Arkansas: 6 votes

Louisiana: 9 votes

Kentucky: 8 votes

Kansas: 6 votes

Mississippi: 6 votes

Georgia: 15 votes

North Carolina: 15 votes

South Carolina: 8 votes

North Dakota: 3 votes

South Dakota: 3 votes

Nebraska: 5 votes (this state is one of only two states that could possibly split their electoral votes)

Texas: 34 votes

Montana: 3 votes

Oklahoma: 7 votes

Alaska: 3 votes

Utah: 5 votes

Idaho: 3 votes

West Virginia: 5 votes

Wyoming: 3 votes

Total: 178 votes all locked up

Palin’s Running Mate Will Likely Win:

Missouri: 11 votes (7 point lead)

Florida: 27 votes (5 point lead)

Indiana: 11 votes (5 point lead)

Virginia: 13 votes (3 point lead)

Ohio: 20 votes (2 point lead)

Total: 260 votes

Must Win States

In order to win the Presidency, Obama must win New Mexico, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. A win in Nevada would be nice. A win in Virginia would basically seal the deal.

For Palin’s Running Mate, he must win Ohio and Florida, bottom line. New Hampshire and Nevada would help. Colorado and Pennsylvania would seal the deal.

All of these states will be the most hotly contested and will determine the winner. But don’t let the mainstream media convince you that Palin’s Running Mate has this thing all wrapped up.

Miss Wasilla Goes to Washington

The Monkey and I were driving from Worcester, MA to Peterborough, NH on Friday, August 29, when we heard the news that John McCain had selected his running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. (On a personal note, this day also marked the 2nd birthday of my daughter and I suppose I can always remind her as she grows up that a woman was selected to be Vice President on her birthday, hopefully encouraging her to remember that a woman in America can truly accomplish whatever she sets her mind to).

NPR covered the entierty of her first speech as the GOP’s 2008 Vice Presidential candidate at a rally in Ohio, and I have to admit, while listening to the speech I got a little concerned about Barack Obama’s chances in November.

I have often commented that John McCain lacks charisma and a connection to his audience when he speaks. Considering he will be facing off against one of the most energetic and inspiring politicians to emerge on the national scene in decades, I felt that McCain’s inadequacies in this department would be a huge detriment to his chances of winning the presidency, in accordance with my universal maxim of Presidential Politics, which states: at the end of the day, people vote for people they like, and to a lesser degree, people they know.

While John McCain may be more familiar to more American voters than Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s “exotic” new candidate, I believe Obama is more likeable than John McCain, and that likeability, combined with the huge negatives of John McCain’s Bush-like policies, would carry the day over John McCain’s familiarity to the American electorate.

But with the GOP’s new “rock star,” Sarah Palin on the ticket, that equation suddenly changes, due to her enormous likeability and charisma.

Palin’s Masterful Speech

Since I was listening to her speech on the radio without the distractions of the visuals, the Monkey and I were able to concentrate on the specific diction her speechwriters chose, as well as her personal power and energy enlivening each word she spoke.

She was clearly attempting to appeal to Hillary voters in several strategic ways:

President John F. McCain?

1) When she first alluded John McCain’s in her speech, she referred to him as, “John F. McCain.” This was clearly an attempt to compare McCain to Democratic hero John F. Kennedy, thereby creating warm feelings for McCain among Catholic voters, independents, and Hillary voters. She also paid a compliment to American hero and Democratic Ohio Senator John Glenn in the same breath. In addition, she kept the unusual Kennedy comparison alive when she alluded to the title of Kennedy’s book, “Profiles in Courage,” in her description of John McCain’s hero’s journey through a Hanoi prison
camp:

Profiles in courage, they can be hard to come by these days. You know, so often we just find them in books. But next week, when we nominate John McCain for president, we’re putting one on the ballot! –Governor Sarah Palin, August 29, 2008.

Will 2008 Be The Year?

2) She paid homage to Geraldine Ferraro, who was the Democratic Party’s choice for VP and the first woman to receive that nod on a major ticket, back in 1984. When I first heard her utter Ferraro’s name I was amazed and impressed. Amazed, because it is rare indeed when Republicans give props to members of the opposite party, especially people like Ferraro, who is an icon of the women’s liberation movement, which represents the greatest threat to many pro-life conservatives, conservatives just like Sarah Palin herself, who espouses rather radical views on the subject of abortion (more on this in a moment). Impressed, because this reference indicated the brilliant strategem beneath the speech: appeal to women voters and male Hillary supporters.

3) Finally, she delivered a luminescent nod to Barack Obama’s primary rival during the historic Democratic primary campaign: none other than Hillary Clinton herself. I am struck by how many Republicans have been so “impressed” by the resiliancy and toughness of Hillary Clinton. They love to give her props because of the two-fold effect such reverance and faux adoration achieves:

a) it splinters Democratic unity and welcomes Hillary’s supporters to the fray, and

b) it creates the illusion of the GOP being centrist and inclusionary, which is ironic when you consider the politics of each of the two candidates on the top of the Republican ticket.

Since I’ve already analyzed John McCain’s platform in my “Who Should I Vote For?” series published during the primaries, it is now time to take a closer look at his running mate, the relatively unknown Governor Sarah Palin.

Beyond the Bio: What Does Sarah Palin Stand For?

By now, we’re all pretty familiar with Palin’s bio. She was a high school athlete, beauty queen, “hockey mom,” PTA member, Wasilla, AK City Council member, twice-elected Mayor of Wasilla, AK (population 6,700), and first-term Governor of Alaska (population 683,000). We know that her nomination is an unlikely story, rather inspiring, and tells an “only in America” story similar to Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s unlikey path to the Presidency.

10 Things to Know About Sarah Palin’s Politics

1) She’s a friend of domestic oil development. She supports drilling in ANWR, the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, and has even sued the federal government over its inclusion of Polar Bears on the federal endangered species list, as protecting polar bears might jeopardize oil development in Alaska. Her husband works in the industry.

2) She is a creationist and supports teaching creationism in school.

3) She is fervently anti-abortion, even opposing abortion in the cases of rape and incest. Now that she has announced that her teenaged daughter is pregnant, the GOP spin-meisters are doing an excellent job of using this situation as a living example of her commitment against abortion. To me, however, this situation indicates a lack of her presence in the home and her daughter’s cry for attention from her mother who is busy with a disabled new born, three other children, running a state, and now campaigning all over the country for VP of the United States.

4) She supports abstinence only education in Alaskan schools, but apparently not within her own home, proving that this form of sex education clearly is a flawed technique to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Points 1-4 indicate that she is a social conservative, very much in the vein of George W. Bush.

5) She positions herself as a government reformer, fighting Alaskan corruption and over-spending, although she has supported and received an endorsement from embattled Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, who faces seven felonly counts on charges he failed to disclose gifts received from oil companies. She herself is also under investigation for the improperly pressuring an Alaskan Public Safety Commissioner to fire a State Trooper who was going through a bitter with her sister.

Point #5 shows that she claims to be a reformer but engages in abuse of power and cronyism herself (the man she picked to replace the fired Safety Commissioner had to leave his post after just weeks in the midst of sexual harrassment charges. He received a $10,000 severance from Palin).

6) She favors capital punishment.

7) She is a member of the NRA and as a hunter and fisherman herself,
supports gun rights.

Points 6 & 7 appeal to social conservatives and mirror Bush’s policies.

She believes Climate Change is not manmade.

The same as Bush’s brainless view of the effects of carbon dioxide emissions.

9) As far as foreign policy is concerned, there are no definitive positions on her record that clearly state her view on the War in Iraq, other than this quote alluding to the fact the Iraq War is essentially a war for oil:

We are a nation at war and in many [ways] the reasons for war are fights over energy sources, which is nonsensical when you consider that domestically we have the supplies ready to go.

This point could certainly be a challenge to the Bush-McCain doctrine, but her comment that “we have the supplies ready to go” indicates her lack of understanding about our ability to replace foreign oil with domestic drilling. It also of course raises questions about McCain’s horrible job of vetting his running mate, who may have a contradictory view on the War in Iraq.

10) Finally, she doesn’t seem to even have a clear idea about what is being asked of her in terms of potentially becoming the Vice President of the United States of America. Watch below:

This video clip indicates a lack of sophistication, historical context, and constitutional understanding that is frankly quite frightening and very reminiscent of George W. Bush. Sadly, what these above points indicate is that the only thing new and fresh about Sarah Palin is her gender and her good looks.

McCain will win his base and the 30% of whackos who still support President Bush, but Sarah Palin’s selection as VP candidiate will do nothing to capture the great divide of independents and moderates who will ultimately decide this election.

Country First?

It is ironic that the motto emblazoned on the podium at the McCain-Palin rally in Ohio read “Country First,” when McCain’s pick had little to do with what is best for his country and more to do with what is best for his campaign.

While the fact that a woman appearing on the Republican Presidential ticket for the first time in history is groundbreaking, long-overdue, and should be celebrated by all Americans, this history-making move should certainly be put into perspective. Republicans are disastrous policy-makers but they are brilliant strategists and can splinter electorates and win elections with Machiavellian efficiency. On the surface, McCain’s gamble on first-term Governor Sarah Palin as his VP choice is shocking, inspiring, and will radically shift the context of the campaign. But beneath the tidal wave of shock and awe, his decision is all about politics.

Specifically, it’s about a couple of key points:

1) Driving a Wedge Between Disaffected Blue Collar Hillary Supporters and the Obama Campaign. Who would have thought that Hillary Clinton would suddenly have street cred among Republicans? It’s certainly a lot easier to give Hillary enormous props when you don’t have to face her in an election and their celebration of Hillary’s campaign sure helps the GOP appear less right wing and fundamentalist. But you can be assured of one thing: if Hillary had gotten the nomination instead of Obama, she would be the subject of relentless attack instead of the faux adoration the Republican party is currently raining down on her. And here’s something else you can take to the bank: if the GOP thinks that putting an anti-abortion, anti-gay rights, social conservative on the ticket is going to wrangle up more than a spattering of women Hillary supporters, they are about as short-sighted as they are radical in their thinking. If anything, Sarah Palin will garner male Hillary supporters in blue collar states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. Let’s just call a spade a spade, Palin is extremely easy on the eyes and I wouldn’t be surprised if a small percentage of male voters who could go either way lean Republican on this one, just to keep her in the spotlight a while longer. Call me and the Monkey chauvinists for even suggesting this, but I didn’t make up the term, “sex sells,” I just observe the phenomenon.

2) Wrestling the “Historial Advantage” from the Democrats. For any voters out there who are solely swayed to vote for Obama in order to participate in the historic nature of electing the first African American President, they suddenly might have a conundrum on their hands. Now people can cast their ballots for a similarly historical ticket without having to follow through and actually vote for a black person. We have heard about the inherent racism that still permeates the consciousness of this nation and many have commented that while people may support the concept of Obama as their President, when these same people are safe within the privacy of the voting booth that racism might kick in and preclude them for casting their ballot for an African American. Now those same people have the opportunity to cast a historical vote in a “safer” context, taking the step of electing a woman to the office of the Vice Presidency instead of a black man to the highest office in the land.

3) Perpetuating the Myth of the Maverick. For the McCain loyalists, perhaps one of the greatest benefits of having Palin on the ticket besides her good looks and her gender, is the fact that she has earned a reputation of a maverick herself while Governor of Alaska, fighting corruption and pork spending within her state. McCain still enjoys a maverick reputation that he carved out for himself many years ago, although as of recently his positions have been nearly identical to an unpopular, fundamentalist, neo-conservative President who is intimately intertwined within the established hierarchy of the the Grand Old Party. Ironically, Palin’s reputation might be more myth than reality, as she herself is under investigation for corruption (Palin allegedly ordered the firing of a state official who refused to fire a state trooper who had divorced Palin’s sister). And get this – the replacement she picked for that post also lost his position after just two weeks on the job, after charges of sexual harrassment emerged. Oh by the way, Palin, Alaksa’s “maverick” Governor paid this gentleman a $10,000 severance after just two weeks of work. It seems like Mike Brownie cronyism is a malady penetrating the DNA of the GOP even in faraway Alaska. The findings of this investigation and due to emerge just days before the November 4th election.

4) Consolidating the Republican Base. One thing’s for sure, Sarah Palin appeals to the base of the Republican party like no other candidate in the 2008 race, perhaps outside of Mike Huckabee. Anti-gay marriage? Check. Anti-abortion? Check. Pro NRA? Check. These so-called wedge issues move the Republican base like none other, and if there were any doubts among social conservatives as to McCain’s credibility as a George Bush-like fundamentalist, they can be dispelled with Palin on the ticket. Problem is, McCain’s major challenge is not winning over the 30% of Americans who still support President Bush. His challenge is convincing the “great middle” to come over to his side. A lot has changed since 2004. In 2004, social conservatives and fundamentalist Christians flocked to the Republican banner because the economy was stronger than it is today and the war in Iraq wasn’t nearly as unpopular. Today, many blue collar workers who might lean to the right are reconsidering their 2004 votes that sent Bush back to the White House now that they have seen the distrastrous results of four more years of Republican rul

A Heart Beat Away?

McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate says less about Palin and what Palin brings to the ticket, and instead says more about John McCain’s judgment as far as the best interests of this nation are concerned. While on the Democratic side Barack Obama chose Joe Biden because of the vast foreign and domestic policy experience that he brings to the table, John McCain chose Sarah Palin to simply win the election.

What’s truly shocking is not that a woman stands on the Republican ticket, but instead that John McCain made his choice after having met Palin only once. The thought that a complete unknown, who is even essentially unknown to her running mate, could possibly enter the Oval Office if something were to happen to a President McCain is troubling to say the least and indicates that McCain’s primary concern is to win the office, in addition to bringing his judgment and health to the forefront of the major questions surrounding a McCain Presidency. As much as I personally don’t like Mitt Romney, no one can doubt his qualifications to run one of the world’s largest economies. And even Mike Huckabee has a substantial executive record and corresponding proven leadership experience.

A Return to the Quayle-esque VP?

Could one make an argument that Joe Biden is the “second best” person to run this country? Sure. Of course it’s arguable that Hillary Clinton is clearly the second best choice, but certainly Joe Biden could be included in that conversation. However, is Sarah Palin clearly the GOP’s “second best?” Is she the best the party has to offer outside of McCain himself?

If that is the case, then the Republicans are in more trouble than previously imagined. It is ridiculous to think that Sarah Palin, the former mayor of a tiny town in Alaska, and the first term Governor of that state, is qualified to lead this country should McCain not be able to complete his term in office. Truth be told, John McCain is old, one of the oldest leaders in the world and he’s not exactly the picture of health and vigor either, having been diagnosed with cancer four times. While it is exciting to think about a woman finally finding her way onto the GOP ticket, it is troubling to actually picture her meeting with world leaders and solving the world’s toughest problems as President.

Joe Biden would be a Dick Cheney-esque VP in that sense that he would bring gravitas, experience, and enormous authority to the position. It is unlikely that if elected as VP, he would attempt to run for President at the age of 74 (his age at the conclusion of a potential second Obama term). In this way, he would be truly serving in the office to amplify the power and authority of a President Obama.

Palin, on the other hand, with her lack of experience, would serve only to help McCain achieve a victory in November, but would most likely not contribute to the governing of this nation in a similar fashion to the precedent set by Cheney or even Al Gore.

Bottom line, Palin’s selection as VP is an exciting, radical move, that clearly will enliven the electorate and turn the direction of both campaigns into unchartered waters, but McCain’s choice should be viewed for what it is: political necessity for a campaign on a life support, and nothing more.