Half-Baked Alaska

John McCain says that "not [being] from Washington" is the main qualification for his VP choice, Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin.

If not being from Washington qualifies you to be a hair's breadth from the oval office, then there are maybe a hundred million qualified Americans for the job.

And, one might rightly ask, if not being a Washington insider is so preferable in choosing a candidate, what business do we have electing John McCain, with over a quarter-century as a beltway insider?

If, as Alaskan Republicans claim, Governor Palin's selection is "good for Alaska," which I highly doubt in the first place, what about the other 49 states? Surely they deserve a candidate good for them, too?

It has been said that we are entitled to our own opinions, but not our own facts. Here's a fact: John McCain chose Governor Palin without even going to Alaska or sending his search committee. He simply does not know her. Period. Had he vetted her more carefully, he would have found that she is embroiled in not one but two scandals at home, both involving cronyism and bullying from the corner office. One is nakedly personal, involving her misguided attempt to soothe her sister's personal feelings about her ex-husband. The other is about what most corruption is about, money.

Nice.

The scrutiny the Governor brings to Alaska will be good for the hotel industry, as reporters descend en masse to dig the dirt, but that may be the end of it. If you'll recall, heightened scrutiny did nothing for Geraldine Ferraro. Also, prior to her scandal-plagued governorship, Ms. Palin was the mayor of a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. There are more children in the school systems of medium-sized American suburbs than there are citizens in Wasilla. The press will certainly be impressed by how little there there is there.

Republicans are going to have a tough time keeping a stiff upper lip as they put their personal credibility on the line for Ms. Palin. Unfortunately, it will take something stronger than a deep swig of Kool-Aid to brace them for this odious task.