Ok, I am the first to admit that Sarah Palin is possibly the worst VP Selection in the history of the United States.  But a bad VP pick for Mc Cain is a good VP Pick for Obama.  While I hate to politicize the office of the Vice-President, it is after all political.  It is true that if Mc Cain wins the Presidency, Palin would be a heart beat away from the Oval Office- a scary thought indeed.  But, this awful pick only solidifies to the voters what a horrible President Mc Cain would be. 

In my opinion, the Palin pick is a gift that we should never give back.  (Ok, maybe we could after the Vice-Presidential debate)  My worry is that we are pushing too hard, too soon and the gift will be taken away.  The fact that she may withdraw her name from consideration -- ala Harriet Meyers --  is not what worries me.  How she would withdraw her name from consideration is what could be a strategic disaster for Democrats. 

Why?  Because the Republicans would never allow it to be about John Mc Cains judgment, or lack thereof.  The Republicans would make it all about the unfairness of  the media and the horrible "liberals."  Both groups would be demonized for being to harsh in their thoughts, words and deeds regarding Palin.  Of course, the ultra-conservative groups would agree.  Also, many women would agree.  Let's fact it, Governor Palin would become a martyr.  Her name would forever be the rallying cry for the injustice leveled against hockey moms and it would all be the liberal media and the Democrats fault. 

As for the media, their credibility would be shot for the remainder of the election cycle.  As for the Democrats, theri message of change would be overshadowed by the cry that they are playing the same old politics that they have been playing for the last eight years, obstructing judges, justices, ambassadors and now Vice-Presidential candidates.  In short, it would be a stroke of good luck for the Republicans that Mc Cain's pick was so bad.  He would get a do-over -- Joe Lieberman -- and still reap the benefits of the Palin pick; a galvanized base.  In a sense, he would get two Vice-Presidential picks for the price of one. 

Strategically, you couldn't make a better plan.  It would indeed pick off women, Evangelical Christians, Jews and independants for the election.  If I didn't know any better, I would say this horrible pick was intentionally orchestrated by one Karl Rove.  After all, I did see him on Fox News yesterday, gleefully proclaiming the brilliance of the Palin pick.  In fact, he was down right giddy.  Now ask yourself, as a political mastermind, if your party had just given up its best argument against Obama-- experience -- by picking a running mate with far less experience than your opponent, would you be giddy?  

Any time Karl Rove is happy, I am nervous.  This could be his masterful, strategic move.  Analogized by a strategy in chess where you purposefully give up your queen to get another queen in a stronger position.  I feel that we as Democrats should remember that the goal is to take the king and let Mc Cain keep his weak queen.  Don't push Palin too hard, at least not yet.  This game is not over until the votes are cast and allowing Mc Cain off the hook for his bad choice is dangerous.  While the majority of us would see through the Republican smoke and mirrors and see that this selection was a bad one, the problem is that a lot of voters just might fall for it.  In an election this close, it doesn't take a lot to make a difference.  

Frederick Griffin