The unspoken truth that all the "poundits" are not speaking is that the McCain trainwreck just got worse, and

unless they shore up their base, they will be relegated to third-party status in the next two political cycles.

McCain's co-opting of BushRove's wingnut base is nothing more than a confession of failure.

No one with a modicum of political horse sense will even suggest this power hungry, personally ambitious "mean-girl for VP" will attract Hillary's disgruntled Dems.

What Palin represents and propounds is in diametric opposition to their progressive creed, and they are typically about 10 IQ points above the typical republican clone voters, so they aren't likely to join the "some of the people all of the time" lump.

The "change" proponents in both parties will view this executive bully as more of the same. She is plagued by insider deals galore (got milk?) and an addiction to federal earmarks (ala Ted Stevens), on her short and troubled resume. Did I mention her using her political influence for personal reasons (Troopergate?)

Somewhere in the mix, over the past three months, the reality of a potential third-party demotion, instigated by 8 years of Bush/Cheney no-bid, book cooking management, has sunk in and they are no longer looking to gain the White House, they are desperately trying to save their party from the plague of obscurity that will come when the rejuvenated (literally) Democratic Party and the ever-growing Independent Party outstrip the GOP when this cycle is over.

Palin's pick as the VP was an act of desperation, to salvage the party from future obscurity.

And despite the "experts'" adulation, her shrill, issue-challenged, harpy-harangue speech at the convention was no masterpiece. It was just more proof that they have only one tool in their arsenal; attack their opponent, because they have no record to brag about and no real plan to fix the mess they enabled Bush and Cheney to make.

She may energize the wingnuts and the old timers, but to anyone with an eye on history, both past and future, she represents the straw that broke the elephant's back. Had she taken some time to address even one real issue, maybe it would not be so tranparent, but her anti-Dem rhetoric did nothing to assuage the public's fears that McCain equals Bush.

This dubious strategy has already backfired on them, and every day they try to blame the media for their own misguided decision, they dig themselves deeper into the pit.

By criticizing the media, they are turning on their own best champion, and we will see that mistake play out sooner than later.