That's an unusual analysis. I wouldn't say Palin is the quarterback at all. She's just the darling of the right. McCain's speech actually seemed to give his campaign a bigger boost than Palin's

Nevertheless, I agree they should go after Palin hard and early, because she is low hanging fruit. She's a dreadful pick, and once this first flush of New Face publicity is over, and the public fully understands who she is, and how absolutely unsuitable she is to be a heartbeat from the presidency, her already soggy support will collapse, and she'll be left with only that 35% of cultural rightist true believers.

And at that point, the Obama campaign can turn it all back on McCain, and point to the stupidity of the Palin pick as evidence of unreliable, unpresidential and politicized decision-making.

I disagree. Palin is like a clown at a bullfight. A distraction. You can discredit her all you want, but all it creates is further polarization.

If you want to respond to sexist accusations, turn it around and say that the McCain campaign simply parades Palin around as a mere token--she's only allowed to read a script written by a former Bush speechwriter. She has to do whatever the men tell her to do.

They won't permit her to speak freely.

That's not feminism you can believe in.

Maybe "riding her coattails" is the wrong analogy.

He's hiding behind her skirt.

Why? Because, as the Republicans learned under Karl Rove, you go after the other side's strength not its weakness. You attack Kerry on his military record or Gore for being smart. The idea is that if you hit them where they are strong, the rest collapses too.

Seeing such cluelessness warms the cockles of my heart. Please go after Palin. As it is, the "lipstick" remark and the standing ovation it got are just wonderful. Heh.

Meanwhile back at the previous elections, Kerry lost because he trashed the military on television, and Gore was a pretentious boob who flunked out of divinity school. His own state wouldn't vote for him.

Both Obama and Biden should go after her hard, laughingly rebuke the GOP's shock and horror that they would attack a mother, and let the media do the rest.

Oh please, like that hasn't happened already via the blogosphere and talk shows? Take your pick, she's a liar, unfit mother, didn't pull the plug on the bridge, had an affair, and on and on and on. She's taken the worst your side has to offer and is still standing tall. So far it's obvious who is the taking the low road. Keep up the good work.

I hate to say this but I think her "mom" credentials need to be attacked as that is what she is really running as. And she really has made a mess of her own household. Son #1 was a known drug addict who couldn't get into college, Daughter #1 turned up pregnant at 16 and got thrown out of the house. Who knows what else will be turning up.

I definitely think there needs to be a relevant subtext to this campaign that, "If you can't take care of your own family, why would we want you taking care of ours?"

I would add that McCain is not a good family man either. He abandoned his family, twice.

These candidates are not good for their own families nor are they good for ours. This could not be more true.

Except everytime we attack Palin it casts McCain in the sympathetic role of the protective father. Best is to attack Palin in pastiche with attacks on McCain Bush & Cheney.

What Obama should have said this morning is 'Campaigns will be full of attacks, fair ones and unfair ones. We will continue to attack McCain & Palin for their insistent lies to the American people. Lies are important to this campaign because it is lies of a Republican administration that have so hurt the American people over these past eight years. They have lied about the environment, our economy, about taxes, all to disenfranchise our children and the middle class, and to put money in the pockets of special interests. And the worse lies wsere the one that drew our country into a costly and unnecessary war. We are going to stand up and and make John McCain & Sarah Palin accountable for each lie.

And look how John McCain and Sarah Palin attack us. Lipstick on a pig? This is a dangerous world, and those who insist in finding insult where there is none are singularly unfit to defend American interest at home and abroad.'

I don't know. Every time Obama mentions her, it seems to give her more stature.
Let the press get her, have Biden do a little as well. Otherwise, Obama shouldn't even mention her. He's running against John McCain, not McCain/Palin.

Palin is a candidate who isn't ready to face the press. How long are they going to have to prep/brief her? She seems like an easy target for Obama, but he shouldn't even refer to the VP.

When asked about Palin, Obama should say "I'm running against John McCain. McCain is setting the policies and he's wrong on the issues and he's wrong on the direction of our country. We, as a country, can't afford 4 more years of Bush's policies. If you want a stronger and more prosperous America, then vote Obama/Biden."

Palin is a distraction. She's misdirection. Obama has to address McCain, not McCain/Palin