is that he/she chooses subordinates who will challenge the person on top. One of the best bosses I ever had said she only hired people that she thought could one day take her job. In contrast, the sign of an insecure leader is a person who hires people who are not threatening.

Obama chose Biden

McCain chose Pawlin

You be the judge.

Slate has an interesting article about where her campaign came from...apparently it was spearheaded by a young blogger from Colorado who goes by "Elephantman". That's probably the single funniest thing I've read today.

http://www.slate.com/id/2198949/

There seems to be a lot of concern that Joe Biden will have to treat her with kid gloves during the debates to avoid looking like some bully picking on a poor wilted flower.

Well excuse me, but if she can't hold her own with a fellow American in a structured debate, how the hell would she deal with Putin? Or Iran's leaders? I mean, REALLY?

I guess this is where doublethink comes in handy.

Well not quite, but just after you posted someone posted suggesting that Biden at the debates discuss whether Ms. Palin is still breastfeeding!

Sheesh -- does anyone really think that is a good idea? What's he going to say "hey Sarah, do you want a break so you can go back stage, whip your breasts out and get pumpin'"

Christ on a cross -- this is a better choice than the laughers say.

Look -- and maureenodonnell would appreciate this -- I once met a woman called Mary Lou McDonald -- wow is she thick, personable, well presented, admittedly was a terrorist sympathiser -- but other than been clean, good looking and well spoke in a substanceless way, not the least bit impressive, IQ around the warm milk level -- and she got elected to the Irish parliament and then as an MEP. Dan Quayle got elected a Senator and then Bush was still able to get elected with him as VP. Indeed, compared to me she is a freakin political genius and so for that matter is Sarah Palin. Stop assuming that she is a bad choice -- she will be beaten when she is beaten, not before.

So now we'll see just how important it is for the more vociferous Hillarions to have a Vagina-American on the ticket, and whether a colossally unqualified woman is viewed by them as more worthy than a man who's spent his adult life trying to help working people.

For months, the smear on Obama is he is the "no-experience" candidate.

Then we get Palin and we are supposed to take heart in her stints as mayor of 7,000 and her 21 months of gubernatorial experience in Alaska (where the legislature only meets for 90 days!).

Hmm...so on this basis, we should promote popular platoon leaders straight to general. And 3-yr med students should become chief surgeon. And third-string quarterbacks should start the Super Bowl. And the rookie pitcher gets the ball for Game 7 of the World Series.

Yes, the GOP is the party of ideas. Really, really BAD ideas. Ideas that if the other party came up with, the GOP would go absolutely bananas in making fun of. And that is really their strength - their ability to embrace and own the dumbest crap this nation has ever had dished out to it because they know that staying on message and stubborn bull-headeness, no matter how bad for our nation, is more important than anything else and wins the respect of careless, distracted swing voters who can't be bothered to think deeply about the issues facing them.

Does she know anything about the nuances of middle eastern politics? Apparently, she did visit Kuwait to meet with Alaskan soldiers. However, what other experience does she have with world leaders? I would have felt better with Joe Lieberman there to whisper in McCain's ear when he gets it wrong. Her Wikipedia entry does not mention anything about the war on terror. If this is the most important battle of the 21st century (as the Republicans have said again and again), how can McCain pick someone with zero experience? And with his age and poor health, this is just scary. I am truly frightened about what would happen if McCain/Palin were to take over the White House. Where will we be with her a breath away from POTUS? No foreign policy experience at a time when the world is total disarray? Provincialism when the trend is towards globalization? How can this be?

Mack,

The point is not for Biden to belittle breast-feeding - the point is why the first-class health care provided to our gov't officials not also offered to its citizens? Why do you have to be the governor of the State of Alaska to be able to balance work, family and child-rearing while ordinary women are left with no help or support?

Just like McCain's ACTUAL support of veterans on health care and educational benefits has been HORRIBLE, I'd be willing to bet Palin's rhetoric of "family values" has been equally underwhelming when compared to her actual policies.

The GOP likes to use the troops and working moms and black Americans as PROPS and the job of the Democratic Party this year (because they botched the job in '00 and '04) is to expose the GOP for being slick Hollywood producers with only marketing to offer the majority of American people and NO substance.

But more important, I'm offended. What in the heck are the McCain people thinking when they suggest that an anti-choice woman would attract Hillary supporters to the McCain camp? Are they nuts?

I'm not sure Phyllis Schlafly - our old nemisis from the ERA days - can get herself to vote for Governor Palin. Why? Because Palin has 5 kids - one of whom has problem far more serious than having "one extra chromosome" (as I've read that she's said about her very young baby boy with Downs Syndrome)- and someone else is caring for them while she has pursued her political ambitions and now is looking to become VP of the United States.

Nor will religious-right conservative women who have been educated by their male-dominated churches and institutions -- AND dear old Phyllis -- over the years that their place is in the home...perferably having lots of kids, home schooling them to prevent them from learning about the real world, and raising them to be faithful soldiers in the army of god.

(Oh, and let me add that one article I've read has reported that Governor Palin could have chosen to abort Trig when she learned he had Downs Syndrome but chose not to do that. Folks, the key word here is CHOICE! That's what it's all about--the CHOICE to abort or not. She had a CHOICE, and other woman want to have a CHOICE, too.)

Those "Sisters of the Traveling Pants Suit" are strong women, socially liberal, critical thinkers, and committed feminists. Why would they be appeased by a social conservative, anti-choice, relatively inexperienced "replacement" to Hillary Clinton? McCain's mind - and the brains of those advising him - are more muddled than I thought before!!!!!!!