McPalin - Am I Lovin' It?

No ... at least not yet. Maybe I'm the only Republican who wasn't jumping out of my seat with excitement over McCain's VP pick, but I was very skeptical of the move. My initial reaction was that McCain had squandered an opportunity to further distance himself from Obama in the category of experience, particularly after Obama blew it by choosing Biden as his VP. Being from the great state of Delaware (It's good to be first), I may know a bit more about Biden than most. Suffice it to say, I was very anxious to hear the man start speaking out publicly because, well, now you all know what happens when Biden speaks.

There are other reasons I was particularly pleased with Obama's choice:

1. I think it simply highlights the fact that Obama has to shop for experience, having none himself. This is particularly true as to foreign policy, where Biden was meant to shore up the ticket.

2. I think there will be (and in fact has been) tension between Obama and Biden. I think it will be hard for Biden to play the second chair role, and I think Obama will feel pressure to make sure it is apparent that he is in charge. One of the first interviews I saw with both men together seemed to be a whole lot of Biden talking about how great Obama is, and a whole lot of Obama standing next to him trying to get a word in edge-wise. We've also seen Biden criticize the campaign's campaign ad making fun of McCain for not using email more, and Obama publicly rebuking Biden for his initial stance on the economic crisis.

3. I think Biden does nothing to appeal to the center.

4. I'm not sure the man has ever held a real job. He's been a senator for essentially his entire adult career.

5. Aside from suffering seriously from foot in mouth disease, Biden has some skeletons in the closet that many may not know about, including some major resume padding and plagiarism issues in the past.

McCain could have shored up a very strong ticket with an experienced and wise VP pick. He didn't. I really like Palin. She seems to be a true conservative who has done outstanding things in Alaska. She also delivers a great speech. But I am not convinced she was the best pick for VP. The few times the McCain campaign has let Palin go near the press she hasn't, in my opinion, fared all that well. In what I saw of both the Gibson and Couric interviews, Palin did not come across as a woman ready to lead the country if need be.

Frankly, I'm extremely worried about the debates tomorrow night. I hope that I am pleasantly surprised. I just keep thinking that Huckabee, Romney, Thompson or Giuliani would destroy Biden tomorrow night. Palin I'm not so sure about.