Charlie Black with the Bush-McCain campaign:

[Palin]’s going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years, and most doctors think that he’ll be around at least that long.

I know it was a joke, but seriously... most doctors think he'll be around at least that long? What happens if he isn't? A 72-year-old man with a history of cancer and other ailments could (God forbid) pass away at any time - even on January 21, 2009. Will she be ready then? Or will she still need a few years to "learn national security at the foot of the master"? If so, what new "master" will be pulling the strings of the new Commander-in-Chief?

The more I look at this choice, the more it becomes clear to me that with this decision John McCain was thinking only of November 5, 2008 - and not of January 20, 2009. It's an irresponsible choice - and an even more irresponsible way of making that choice - from the man who wants Americans to make him the next leader of the free world.

Update: Even Karl Rove thinks this is an irresponsible choice - or at least he did back on August 10:

"With all due respect again to Governor Kaine, he's been a governor for three years, he's been able but undistinguished," Rove said. "I don't think people could really name a big, important thing that he's done. He was mayor of the 105th largest city in America."

It's important to note here that Tim Kaine has twice as much experience as governor as Sarah Palin, and of a much more populous and diverse state with an economy that isn't propped up by the oil and gas industries and federal pork.

Oh, and for the record, I can't even find where Wasilla, Alaska, with its population of a whopping 6,715, ranks on the list of US cities. But if the state of Alaska were a city, its population of 680,000 would make it the 17th largest city in the nation - meaning that anyone who has been the mayor of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas, San Jose, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, San Francisco, Columbus, or Austin has, in fact, had more constituents than Gov. Palin.

Labels: John McCain, Politics, Republicans, Sarah Palin