Wouldn't someone with good judgment and executive skills, prep a running mate BEFORE

[valerief]

the announcement? That way the running mate could deal with the press right away.

Isn't Palin's "boot camp" an indication that McCain is a slacker?

:shrug:

[Tim4319]

1. Or, ill-prepared!

He had all of this time to find a running mate, and she is still not up to speed. Makes one wonder about that 3AM wake-up call!

[Cleita]

2. Maybe they tried but she's too dumb to

be indoctrinated.

[FrenchieCat]

3. McCain had 6 months.

He's incompetent!

[liberal N proud]

4. You would have thought they would have checked on her background

You wouldn't want anything to get between you and your voters. But the McCain has done it all opposite of what one would do.

This little prep time that is required of Sarah Palin buys them time. Time they don't have to talk about the failing economy or their lack of a plan for health care and alternative energy.
The only thing they have is stunts and distractions.

They are buying time while their pundits get out there and lie for them about how "qualified" Palin is. They hope that they can get as close to the election as possible with out talking real issues then the voter might forget how bad it really is out here.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. i think it was a last minute reaction to the democratic national convention

he wanted to do something that would distract attraction away from the attention obama was receiving

[kestrel91316]

6. McCain's an incompetent boob. He should have stuck with

crashing airplanes for a living.

[chill_wind]

7. Absolutely. Shine a light and FRAME IT UP!

He boxed himself into a corner. We've got him on the ropes good-- his decision making SUCKS---and we should just let him out without even a bloody nose?

FDL Book Salon Welcomes Sidney Blumenthal: The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party
By: Craig Unger Saturday August 30, 2008 2:00 pm

On Sarah Palin:

However impulsive McCain’s choice–and his impulsiveness ought to be a salient issue–she represents a redefinition of conservative Republicanism. She is undeniably attractive personally and clearly a political talent. She is of a younger generation and a woman. She embodies the cultural lifestyle and imperatives in a new way. McCain’s selection shows the need for the Republicans to reinvent themselves: the need for him to unify his party, deal with alienated conservatives and project a new image. This moment is not at all like that of the heyday of Reagan or the first Bush. Whatever the comparisons of Palin and Quayle–and her introduction yesterday was a boffo performance in sharp contrast to his disastrous debut–the Republicans were then on much more solid political ground than they are today. McCain is straining with Palin because of the Republican difficulties. Nonetheless, Democrats really need to learn how to respond adroitly and quickly

On Palin:

My information is that Karl Rove wanted Romney and pushed him. McCain pushed back. He really wanted Lieberman. That was completely out of the question. Palin is the result. One element of the Palin nomination is McCain establishing himself apart from the Bush/Rove political operation, even as his campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, is one of their creatures. From the outside, it’s often hard to figure out how vicious and divided the Republicans can be with each other.

McCain’s impulsiveness in selecting Palin suggests a deeper problem in his decision making process. There’s a pattern. I’d frame it this way: How did McCain get himself into a corner, through a flawed selection process, that he impulsively picked someone about whom he knew very little and who had not been properly vetted? In other words, the question is about McCain’s judgment and temperament.

(bold emphasis mine)


http://firedoglake.com/2008/08/30/fdl-book-salon-welcomes-sidney-blumenthal-the-strange-death-of-republican-america-chronicles-of-a-collapsing-party/

[chill_wind]

8. ...