Look, I'm not exactly a Republican strategist, but it's fair to state that considering what McCain needs and what McCain has to work with, concerning himself and his opponent, Sarah Palin was an extremely unwise choice. Barack Obama was new to a few unfamiliar with the party (he spoke at the 2004 DNC, he's also been a prominent Bush critic), but we got to know him for better or worse during the Democratic Primaries. The whole hope question: laid out extensively last night. And the addition of Joe Biden to the Democratic ticket added foreign policy.
Why did I outline all this? Mitt Romney has the same gubernatorial experience Palin has, plus he adds economic credentials to a campaign that looks to be and most likely will be centered around money. Palin adds nothing significant to the ticket, aside from "the gender card", yet another thing, along with age and race, that the MSM will have to tip-toe around. And who is she? It's hard to talk about uncertainty or experience and then pick a year-and-a-half governor of Alaska, essentially an intern, should the worst case scenario play out during a McCain presidency. With Romney, he could even the playing field and make economics less of a disadvantage. h**l, if he picked Ridge or Lieberman, he would have done something better: actually have a chance at stealing votes from the center, and even the left.
Palin also serves another possible drawback, or more accurately, backlash. If this is some way of getting the Hillary voters, it's more of a slap in the face than an invitation. Why not Condoleeza Rice? Why not KB Hutchison, or 2000 presidential candidate Elizabeth Dole? Why someone so unknown, particularly in a campaign based slightly on how little we know, or knew about Obama?
Can someone explain how McCain gains any advantage in this selection?
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