Sarah Palin and John McCain's Cynical Game

As Republicans meet in convention in St. Paul, Minn., this week, I have a simple question for America's voters watching their TV sets: Does anyone really think Sen. John McCain or Gov. Sarah Palin would have delivered such strong praise for Sen. Hillary Clinton if she had been on either end of the Democratic ticket?

The answer to any reasonable person—a resounding no. At her introduction to voters last week in Dayton, Ohio, Palin praised Clinton for breaking "the glass ceiling" for women in coming so close to winning the Democratic nomination. It was surprising that she also brought up the name of Geraldine Ferraro, who certainly did not help Walter Mondale in the election 24 years ago in which the Democratic ticket lost every state but Minnesota and the nonstate District of Columbia.

McCain and Palin, who disagree with Clinton or even Ferraro on every important issue, are playing a cynical game. Clinton and Palin disagree on issues such as abortion rights, gun control, and, perhaps most intensely, the environment. Palin seems intent on drilling for oil everywhere in Alaska but in her own backyard and maybe there, too. Clinton is a strong backer of alternative energy sources and a "green" environment.

If Democratic women upset about Clinton's absence from the ticket fall for this transparent appeal to their angry instincts, McCain is entitled to them.

Taking this another step, Palin is certainly an attractive maverick who has fought scandal—Republican scandal, by the way—from the statehouse in Juneau. But is she prepared to step in and lead the country in case the 72-year-old McCain is stricken? Her record as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska (population of under 7,000), and her two years as governor stand as a stark contrast with Sen. Joe Biden's six terms in the U.S. Senate, much of that time focusing on foreign policy.

For months, McCain and his allies have pounded and even ridiculed Sen. Barack Obama for his lack of experience and know-how if he had to step into a commander in chief's shoes. McCain has now tossed that issue to the winds. At least Obama served multiple terms in the Illinois state Senate before moving to the U.S. Senate in 2005.

McCain and his campaign surrogates run a risk in continuing to bash Obama on his lack of experience at home and especially abroad. His campaign is reportedly prepared to abandon that line of criticism, which is smart—if he stayed on that tack, you can be sure the Obama camp would have an instant ad on TV noting Palin's brief service as a small-town mayor and short tenure as governor.

Few commentators seemed to have taken notice that McCain or Palin never mentioned the names of George W. Bush or Dick Cheney at that pep rally in Dayton. That speaks volumes about their eagerness to erase memories of the Bush years. (In 1988, by contrast, Republicans were eager to invoke the name of Ronald Reagan at the GOP convention that nominated Bush's father.)

Hurricane Gustav bumped President Bush and Vice President Cheney from the convention speakers list. You could almost hear the welcome sigh of relief all the way from the Twin Cities that voters won't be exposed to the image of McCain and Bush speaking from the same podium to the same adoring crowd, even if days apart.

Cheney, for his part, has been largely out of sight in recent weeks. Democrats running for Congress should be willing to pay for their opponents to invite Cheney to campaign in person for them, such is his standing with voters.

McCain and Palin are currently close in the polls, but they face an even tougher job of selling this combination than does the history-shattering ticket of Obama-Biden.