I think John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin to be his running mate the single worst act of political malpractice I've ever witnessed. I'm thrilled as an Obama partisan, but stunned as a lifelong political junkie by its recklessness.

Why? Because the number one -- and best -- argument  McCain has is that Obama is "risky." That McCain is "safe."

But McCain is 72 years old, has grappled with cancer, and has serious ailments from his time as a POW. There is real chance that he will die in office. So voters will have to look at his VP choice as a potential President -- a potential President as early as next year. (Chuck Todd often says VPs only matter on three days, but for McCain that just isn't true.) Which is why Reagan was intelligent to pick George H. W. Bush -- he seemed plausible as President if Reagan passed away.

Whereas we know nothing about Palin. We don't know what she knows, or doesn't know. If she has good judgment, or bad. If she can manage, or not. If she can inspire our Nation, or not. If she can win a vote outside Alaska. If she knows who is President of Russia. Or France. Or Prime Minister of the UK. Or Japan. Or what countries are in the G-8. Or what the Chairman of the Fed does and who appoints him or her. Or the difference between Sunni and Shia.

We know these things about Obama. And so Obama-Biden now seem like the "safe" choice, and McCain-Palin like the "risky" bet.

Cross-posted:

http://mhallville.typepad.com/epigonic/2008/08/political-malpractice.html

I hate Maureen Dowd and her columns, but she sure got it right in today's paper, where she ended her piece with a quote from a convention goer in Denver:

“I’m telling you, man,” said one top Democrat, “it’s something about our party, the shtetl mentality.”

That's totally been the case on this site the last week. I usually love TPM, but I've gotten tired of the relentless whiny please asking when we're going on the attack, and I lost it last night when Josh made a post out of some reader e-mail (from a supposed "marketer") complaining about the "More of the same" signs.

The reason the Republicans so often win, and the Democrats lose, is not because we don't attack enough, but because we allow them to play into our sick tendencies for self-loathing. No candidate, or convention, is ever quite good enough for us Democrats. Al Gore, John Kerry, and even Bill Clinton (for you adults out there) -- none of them were ever quite good enough.

People, we have an incredible candidate in Barack Obama. Perhaps the best in my lifetime, who combines intelligence, political instincts, charisma and leadership skills like no other Democrat in a generation, maybe two.

His biggest problem is that so many Americans don't know him. I saw this in person when I knocked on doors for Obama in Muncie, Indiana for the May primary. Maybe you've seen the same thing with your friends, or your neighbors, who don't read TPM every day. And the Republicans are better able to land their punches (creating a caricature using Ayers, Wright, Rezko) if voters don't know who he is.

That's why Monday night with Michelle was so important. It'll be that much harder now to paint the Obama family as some exotic "other." It's why tomorrow night will be important.

And frankly, the "attack" mentality is silly. Go back and read the speeches of the 1992 convention. Were they red meat attacks on George Bush? No. Here's Clinton's speech (which got panned by the NY Times the next day):
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton%27s_acceptance_speech_to_1992_Democratic_Convention

We didn't win in 1992 because of "attacks." That's a myth. It's because Clinton drew clear contrasts between what he would do and what George Bush was doing. And the country got over reservations it had about Clinton and decided to give him a chance. Oh, and because Ross Perot drew 20% of the vote.

The convention with the most blistering attack against a competitor came in 1988, when Ann Richards landed the hilarious and famous "Poor George. He can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth."
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/annrichards1988dnc.htm

It was a lacerating speech. She ripped the Republicans. And we lost the election, badly.

So, instead of whining about how you don't think the language on some of the signs is perfect, or that we do't attack enough, get out there and knock on some doors, talk to your neighbors, help introduce them to Senator Obama. That'll be more effective than your self-loathing and pitiful pleas for more attacks.

And if you can't do those things, then please go work out your problem in therapy and not on Democratic-leaning blogs. It's distracting, and doesn't help the cause.