McCain's Palin Dilemma—Should She Stay or Should She Go?

The liberal blogworld is alive and kicking with questions about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and whether she will be as quickly pushed off the McCain ticket as she apparently was added to it. Concerns linger not just over her own version of "troopergate" in which she allegedly fired an Alaska public official for refusing to fire a trooper who messily divorced Palin's sister. Then, too, there's her 17-year-old unmarried daughter who's in a family way.

Take, for example, this TalkLeft post:

Pool: What Day Will Sarah Palin Drop Out?By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2008Posted on Mon Sep 01, 2008 at 09:31:05 PM ESTThe day John McCain appointed Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential nominee, I wrote:

Did John McCain just repeat George McGovern's fatal mistake? How long will Palin stay on the ticket? Will McCain recover any better than McGovern?

It had nothing to do with Eagleton's particular problems, but how McGovern came to choose him, failed to adequately vet him, and then waffled when the problems arose, effectively costing him the election."

My guess is McCain stands the chance of completely alienating his evangelical base if he dumps Governor Palin. The evangelicals seem to love her even more following the announcement that her minor daughter will marry the boy who got her pregnant and the fact she has offered unconditional love and support to the child. Then again, he's alienated moderate Republicans and independents, polls show, by placing Palin on the ticket. It's a lose-lose situation for him to consider dropping Palin, if indeed the campaign is considering it at all. He loses his now energized right-wing base if he drops her. He loses mainstream Republicans and moderate independents (the so-called Hillary voters) if he keeps her. In any event, Palin is far from the smart choice she appeared to be last Friday when McCain announced his selection of a running mate.