We haven't seen much of Sarah Palin lately. It's not just that the McCain campaign seems to be hiding her from the press but we don't even see her repeating her lies about saying "thanks but no thanks to that bridge to nowhere."

Of course there is still some press coverage of troopergate but that can't be seen as good thing for Palin or McCain.

McCain gambled that he could get away with choosing an utterly unqualified VP candidate because she'd appeal to small town folks and that she would win over Hillary supporters by gender alone even though her policies are exactly counter to the issues that are important to most women.

The gamble paid off for a short time but it seems the more that people know about Palin the less they like her.

Of course with the financial crisis McCain's failed gamble is the least of his problems.

She gets to appear as McCain's granddaughter, but nowhere she might have to handle questions. Someone called her his "arm candy," but I can't believe Cindy would put up with that. Still, a veep candidate should have her own cojones: She should have rebelled against the whole idea that she wouldn't be available to the press--unless it showed her "deference." I could write a term paper on why this is unacceptable as a person, as a candidate's mate, or as a veep candidate. Meanwhile, McCain's influence on her legal problems in Alaska may postpone them, but they keep the topics alive. That could prove more damaging than having them dealt with--unless there is serious concern that it will cause her even more character issues. Palin is McCain's first "judgment" appointment, and even for some of his supporters, it's a very puzzling selection--particularly for a 72-year-old candidate with cancer. A number of us think it's a deal-breaker.