I Can Dissect That Nomination in Just Three Words!

Dan.
Quayle.
Lite.

Except that her qualifications make Dan Quayle look like the love child of Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.

My god, she even says "nuke-you-ler" weapons.

Ok, so here is how cynical this nomination is: Racial warfare may not be enough, so let's re-ignite the gender wars. It's also another example of Republican Affirmative Action, a la Clarence Thomas. Let's put an intellectually not-particularly-gifted black guy on the Supreme Court. The Democrats, led by Joe Biden on the judiciary committee, caved in the face of being accused of performing a "high-tech lynching", once Anita Hill made her allegations of sexual misconduct. Joe Biden, in the eyes of many of the women of that era, did not acquit himself well on the Judiciary Committee.

So what happens if Joe Biden, in attack dog mode, goes after Sarah Palin in the VP debates? He looks like a cad and a bully. The thinking goes that the working women of Pennsylavania and Ohio and Virginia will see her as one of their own, a "Red-Neck Woman" in the song by Gretchen Wilson, and will turn on the Democrats.

And, in true Karl Rove fashion, it's a 2-fer. When Rove attacks, he attacks the strong point, and whenever possible, gets a side benefit. The forged Air National Guard documents revealed on CBS news in 2004 not only discredited the idea of W as a deserter, it cost Dan Rather his job. A Rovian 2-fer.

So, at some point, the Democrats are going to bring up the inconvenient truth that Gov. Palin is under investigation for getting a state police officer fired for personal reasons. The officer in question was the Governor's brother-in-law, married to her sister. There was a nasty custody battle. The Governor intervened in ways that seem to ignore a sentence or two in the Alaskan Legal System. ( Never mind any general ethical standard.)

When this gets out, you can be certain that her defense will be: " Listen, buster, I was just trying to protect my sister and her kids from a large, powerful man with a badge and a gun." The women referenced above in the swing states will rise up in sisterhood and turn out by the pickup truck load.

Faux News repeatedly describes her as having "impeccable ethics". This is part of the setup. Damn those nasty Democrats, attacking her ethics!

It is so breathtakingly cynical. It's Clarence Thomas Redux, except in this case it's not an unqualified black man they are putting forth as The Best Possible Person For The Job, it is a former beauty queen, who spent a brief stint as the ceremonial mayor of a village of 9,000 people, before spending a whopping 18 months as Governor of Alaska, and its 638,954 citizens.

And it's on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Heckuva job, McCain. You sure nailed the whole judgement thing.

But you know, it's so crazy, it just might work.

On the other hand, the 12,563,498 next-most-qualified Republican women might just get so cranky at being passed over by McCain's vetting team, that they will decide to vote for someone else...or not at all.

In fact, I would recommend that every Republican female officeholder who thinks she is more qualified than Sarah Palin write a letter to the editor: Why Not Me? Better yet, a series of You Tube videos: Republican women with stronger qualifications than Sarah Palin.

I am going to have to watch the Republican convention to see them praising her skills and qualifications. Oughta be a hoot. I can't wait to hear the comparisons between Joe Biden's speech and hers.

Maybe the few Republicans who actually attend the convention will revolt, declare a do-over, and draft Kay Bailey Hutchinson as the candidate. And as the next VP nominee?

I hear Quayle is tanned, rested, and ready.