Something very distinctive happened today in the short and truly unmemorable speeches of Senator John McCain and Sarah Palin, when he announced her as his Vice-Presidential running mate. Simply put, McCain's entire campaign message has changed.

His decision on picking Palin was made on Thursday morning. This is important, as it came before Obama speech, but after both Hillary and Bill Clinton's speeches, and then of course, Joe Biden's speech.

McCain saw that they were not backing down against him. The Democrats were hitting him hard and showing him for his true colors as a hypocritical Bush lackey. There was only one way McCain could curb the onslaught he knew he would face in Barack Obama's speech, and then subsequently in the weeks to come. The Democrats had hit it home: McCain was not change, he was not reform, and he was nothing but more of the same Bush policies and politics.

So, he picks Sarah Palin, a young, attractive Washington outsider who has a (very slim) record of reform in her (very small) state of Alaska. That, my friends (snark!), is the key. John McCain is no longer going to be running on the failing message that he's most qualified to lead. He will be running on the message that he'll be going to Washington to reform it, along with his reformist pretty girl.

Essentially, the campaign has no longer become one of change vs. experience, but one of change vs. reform, concepts that to many will be seen as synonymous, but to the observant voter, will be seen as nothing more than a gimmick.

Does Palin being on the ticket essentially destroy the argument that Obama is not ready to lead? Yes, and that was precisely what McCain was counting on. But the key here is in the result. McCain will now be forced to fight Obama on Obama's ground, rather than continue to fight on his own. Who is most qualified, not to be in the White House, but to change and/or reform Washington.

In a way, Obama should be happy. This is, after all, the debate he wanted to have, isn't it? Who will actually change the Washington establishment? Perhaps, though, it's not. Obama's strategy has always been one of policy, not of character (though he has plenty). Whomever wins on policy, essentially, wins the election. I agree, and his acceptance speech confirmed it. But Palin has forced change not to be debated on what policies will be different, but simply on what character will be different.

Obama should, from this time forth, attack McCain and Palin on their knowledge, their expertise, and their abilities to face the policy challenges, both foreign and domestic, of the next administration. He has proven he has the judgment and character to lead the nation. Can his policies and positions also hold up? The answer, unequivocally, is yes, and if he can make that clear to voters, Palin's entire candidacy will seem, in a sense, absurd.