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• Game over, man!
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• What Right to Privacy?
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• Bug Braaaaaaaaaains!
• Sarah Palin
• Reich's advice to Democrats
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• Better questions about climate change

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Sarah Palin

Gregg Erickson (a columnist at the Anchorage Daily News and Editor-at-large of the Alaska Budget Report) did a Q&A this afternoon regarding Sarah Palin.

That is, Mr. Erikson provided the "A"s for a few "Q"s regarding Governor Palin, who has been named the VP candidate for the Republican ticket. The Washington Post carried the transcript of the session. I'd like to highlight one Q & associated A that really caught my eye:

Arlington, Va.: Do you think Hillary supporters will vote for McCain now just because there's a woman on the ticket -- even though she's about as opposite as Hillary as a candidate could be?

Gregg Erickson: As i replied to another question, the only way I can figure that it makes sense is that McCain believes his campaign is in big trouble, and hopes this very unconventional choice will give his candidacy much needed appeal women voters and those from the religous right who have been not quite comfortable with his credentials as a social conservative.

Appealing to Hillary supporters by choosing someone opposed to any abortion, rights seems odd to me.

I can't agree. First of all, I don't see why we should suppose that John McCain thinks his campaign is in big trouble. In fact, it's close to a dead heat. Both sides admit that there is no indication that this will be anything other than a very, very close race that will be decided by a handful of swing states. By the way, Alaska ain't one of them. If McCain thought he was in big trouble, he would try a gimmick that would lock up one or two of the swing states.

Secondly, I don't think the votes of most women are really that up-for-grabs. The concern at this point is appealing to undecided women who are likely voters. And at this point, it seems silly to think that Palin does not do exactly that. I have seen no evidence to support that idea, and I have personal anecdotes to the contrary.

Third, if Mr. Erickson think the religious right has been not quite comfortable with McCain's credentials, he ought to hear how they feel about Senators Obama and Biden. I think McCain's concern with the religious right was essentially not pissing them off so much as to interfere with the get-out-the-vote program. No religious right voters are going to be sitting at home on Election Day, saying to each other "Let's stay home just to spite that John McCain fellow! We'll see how he likes it when the Lord ushers Barak Obama into the White House!"

McCain simply does not seem to be taking them for granted, and Sarah Palin is not a panic move to shore up the religious right.

As for myself, my first thought regarding Palin is that if she is elected, we may see Julia Louis-Dreyfus return to Saturday Night Live. Watch the video again and tell me I'm wrong.