No one will be talking, thinking or voting about Sarah Palin in November

[Alhena]

I think it's a horrendous pick substantively- the book is still open about how effective it will be politically in the short term. But if history teaches us anything about vice presidents it's that nobody votes based upon them, because they have an irrelevant job (barring a contingency people don't think about) with almost no visibility. How often did you see Al Gore or Dick Cheney?

I think the best thing we can do in regards to Palin is let those who are fascinated by her and her selection get it out of their system for the next couple of weeks. There's a very good chance that her debate performance will be a fiasco, and if so then her failure will be visible for all to see. But if she muddles through it all right, then we should recognize that no votes are going to be gained by attacking her. The best thing to do is just let her interesting little story play out for the next couple of weeks and soon people will be bored with Sarah Palin and we can get back to thinking of that boring geriatric John McCain.

I can guarantee you that come late October we will have just finished the last 2 presidential debates and we'll be discussing the latest attempt to swift boat Obama or something of that nature. Palin will be in the same place in the back of our minds that the John Edwards affair and other forgotten election stories reside.

[skooooo]

1. That holds true usually....I think this circumstance is different.

McCain is elderly and has had cancer twice. That makes his choice for VP a bit more critical. This is a Harriet Meiers.

[Alhena]

4. Yes, she's Harriet Miers, but there's nothing to be gained by attacking her

I've discovered already that there are some people of the sort who regard US Magazine as serious news who are tickled pink by this
pick. I tried talking sense to them, but they didn't want to hear it and got very defensive about her. So the best thing to do is hope for a debate fiasco but barring that keep attacking McCain and let this silly story fade.

[skooooo]

5. I don't think you need to attack her..

...to continually make the point that she is an absurd choice. But that doesn't mean you can't keep the absurdity of McCain's choice an issue by asking real questions and treating her like anyone else.

[Arugula Latte]

6. No -- McCain just turned 73 to day.

If that guy is elected *shudder* and then gets a fatal relapse of cancer or drops dead of a coronary or something, this corrupt environment-hating nutjob women is IT. That is VERY relevant, and people need to hear all of the bad stuff about her.

And, also, how do you think pulling our punches and treating the Republicans with kid gloves has worked for us for the past 30 years?

[Alhena]

7. The people with any sense already know she's a joke of a pick. Those who think otherwise

are those who vote based on personal stories and emotion. For those people, I don't see an appeal to logic as being of much use.

I'm talking about the Obama campaign - no doubt many in the press will be giving her scrutiny. But Obama should concentrate on McCain.

[Arugula Latte]

2. We don't "see" Dick Cheney, but who do you think has been running the country for eight years?

[Alhena]

3. That's true, but the public doesn't realize it or think about Cheney on a daily basis