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John McCain is a maverick! How can I tell? Well, aside from the fact that he tells people he picked Sarah Palin as his vice presidential choice. No one had thought of the half-term Alaskan governor. So he’s a maverick! (Although picking Joe Lieberman, something he thought was the best choice, and in the process sticking it to both parties, now that would have have been a maverick move.)

Another word I would use, other than “maverick,” is “impulsive.” It’s fine to have ideas that go outside the box, but it is equally important to consider the logic of those ideas, and carefully consider before deciding. Am I saying that he didn’t carefully consider Palin just because he had only met her once before deciding that she would be capable of running the United States? Let’s just say that when I bring in an intern, I usually have two interviews.

This really isn’t about Sarah Palin, who, as John McCain might say, seems like a nice young woman. It is about the man at the top of ticket, the guy willing to take big risks. Conservatives gush about the serious vetting process McCain’s staff took. This is from ultra-conservative Newsmax:

Sarah Palin’s path to the Republican ticket started with her name on a list _ and a team of some 25 people pouring through public records searching for trouble spots without her knowledge. Then came the 70-question survey and a nearly three-hour interview.

Wow! She answered 70 questions and had a nearly three-hour interview. And people googled her public record. Joe Biden underwent years of public scrutiny, including the time he was in the primary. Obama was grilled for 18 months during his Democratic primary battle. And he convinced 20 million voters he was the best choice.

Seriously, McCain spoke to her once, had someone else interview her once and went over public records. And this is the most important hire he will make in public office. If elected he will be choosing the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Head of Homeland Security, thousands of lower-level appointees and possibly a Supreme Court Justic or two. Is one interview and a questionaire the criteria he will use? Remember, she was not a known quantity. This was the governor of a state that doesn’t even border on any others. It’s not like he, or anyone else on the national stage, knew her well.

Maybe she does have the ability to lead the country. I suspect not, but it’s always possible. But I can tell you one thing for sure, John McCain has not done enough research to know himself. And that’s the danger of trusting a “maverick” with the power of the presidency.

Tags: mccain, obama, palin, vice president
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