I've fielded several phone calls this morning about John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. The questions: "So, does Palin have enough experience? Isn't she going through her own political scandal right now? Hasn't she also been fighting against Republican corruption in her own state? How will PUMAs – the unofficial group of soured HIllary Clinton supporters ("Party Unity My Ass") – react to having a woman within striking distance of the glass ceiling? Is she Dan Quayle with sex appeal or Hillary sans Bill's baggage? Is it really McCain's birthday today? Could she beat Barack in basketball? And hasn't she been widely named America's Sexiest Governor?" They'll all fair questions. Here's some answers.
Our grizzled national political writer, an Obama supporter, found himself rooting for Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin during her coming-out party. Her choice by Sen. John McCain could be a game-changer — if she doesn't make any big mistakes between now and the election.
Everyone's trying to figure out whether or not Gov. Sarah Palin, Sen. John McCain's pick for vice presidential running mate, has experience. As far as election strategy goes, it doesn't matter that Palin has little experience. Sen. John Kerry had far more experience and was several times smarter than President Bush, but in the 2004 debates, Bush behaved like an idiot child kicking sand, Kerry responded with intelligent remarks, and the voters picked Bush anyway. With Palin, McCain is going after two things simultaneously: 1) the feminist-minded voters still pissed that Obama beat Clinton and 2) the independents who don't see themselves in either party.
A new magazine called Miller-McCune has compiled a list of "The World's Biggest Boondoggles," and right up there in fourth place is Seattle's Sound Transit Link Light Rail (phase 1, not the proposal we'll vote on next November). Here's the dishonorable mention:
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