An interesting article about how McCain finally selected Palin. According to Kornacki's take, it didn't go down like I would've imagined. McCain actually wanted pro-choice Lieberman but Karl Rove and associates wanted Romney. Rove ended up personally contacting Lieberman to request that he withdraw from further consideration, and McCain refused to go with Romney due to concerns of inadequate loyalty. Thus, Palin was selected by default.

While we're on the subject, if McCain were truly The Maverick of old (which we know he's not), Palin would've been the type of person he would never have picked. The Maverick of yesteryear deeply resented the religious right and the feeling was mutual (look what they did to him in 2000). McCain back then also bucked his party when it came to several issues, global warming being one, which btw Palin is a denier.

Those days, needless to say, are long gone. The religious right very much wanted Palin to be his VP and poof, that's who McCain went with. Rather than be the independent maverick, he instead just caved and threw them a bone. Much like GW has done for 7+ years, but then GW never claimed to be a maverick. However, the fact it took a whopper size bone the likes of 2nd in charge to the President speaks volumes to just how much the far right was against McCain and the lengths to which he had to prostitute himself to win them over.

Bush would indeed toss them gratuitous, symbolic morsels (Schiavo, stem cell, etc.) in hopes of keeping them happy, but they eventually learned it was all a con, that they were being used. (Recall Bush endorsed pro-choice Specter in PA over pro-life Toomey). So this time around they had had enough and raised the stakes. Given the former maverick was desperate, the religious right had him over a barrel.

If McCain wins, I can only imagine the lengths to which he'll have to go to pay them back. He may become more of a religious zealot than Bush. Scary.