Sarah Palin for VP: Why Political Common Sense No Longer Matters

While I've never been a big fan of the neoconservative movement, or the policies of the Republican party in general, McCain's VP pick has pretty much squeezed out any remaining hope for the right-wing as it stands now. I'm Canadian and a social liberal, so one can argue that my perspective on the current election may be somewhat detached. Still, it's interesting to watch the US Presidential race unfold as it has.

I watched most of the coverage of McCain's VP announcement as it happened this past Friday, mostly on MSNBC's Morning Joe. The McCain camp faked out journalists by releasing misinformation on the pick (there were about two or three names still reported the morning leading up to the Palin reveal).

The initial reactions by the usual talking heads were shock coupled with clear disbelief - perhaps even dread. As the rest of the news cycle continued, pundits and "reporters" were quick to defend or endorse the new candidate. The same talking points have been tirelessly repeated since the announcement, and I suspect the rhetoric will only get worse between now and November 4th.

If the familiar ploy of consensus through relentless repetition is used again in this election, I have a strong gut feeling that most dedicated cable viewers will eventually accept the Republican talking points as being inherently true. But if the GOP is ready to gamble with the integrity of the party by pulling last-minute tricks to create buzz, or even if Palin was a calculated choice to energize the ideological base, surely there could have been a more credible candidate.

Palin's case for VP will be shaped by overly-repeated talking points; so would it be fair to compare those pseudo-qualifications against other, more experienced candidates? Here are a few of the major talking points listed by the neoconservative Weekly Standard, along with more reputable names who would better fit the role:

Challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. Daniel Plainview. If, for no other reason, his passion.

Leads a state that matters to every one of us - Alaska. Maurice J. Minnifield from Northern Exposure. Ex-astronaut and businessman. Outdoorsy type.

Understands the importance of supporting our troops. Anyone with a Yellow Ribbon magnet or sticker on their car.

That's just my opinion.