I, personally, don’t like Palin. I like her more than Biden and I like her more than Obama, but I disagree with about two thirds of her political agenda. That said, I think she could have made a perfect running mate if McCain had simply been himself – the maverick – rather than the generic Republican he turned into. Instead, her pick was a blunder of strategy. She’s probably not ready for the national stage but that’s not what tanked the campaign.

John, find your center, call out Obama on his economic policy, point out his inexperience, call bullshit on his latest attacks against you, and for the love of god, get back to basics. Time’s ticking. The election is slipping away from you. The moment of truth is here. Put up or shut up.

Tonight was the second night of presentations made at the Republican National Convention. The speakers included Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota, former presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, and Rudy Giuliani, Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii, and the vice presidential nominee, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

Senator John McCain today announced his decision to nominate Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin. Palin is a first term governor, a former mayor, and a mother of five (including one child with Down Syndrome and one in the military). She has a reputation as a strong fiscal conservative and a reformer. She also has a 90% approval rate in her home state, making her a very, very popular figure.

Making Governor Palin McCain’s Vice President pick is a gamble but it’s not an unreasonable gamble.