Scandals on the McCain side don't matter

Some time ago I thought McCains campaigns was dead, not because he was in involved in a scandal, but because he was involved in a scandal involving a woman on the side, Vicki Iseman. There's nothing more that the media likes, imho, than a fresh & juicy sex scandal. Or so I thought. But, McCain is still here, in part because the media gave him a total free pass on that scandal.

Similarly, the press is probably going to drop Palins Troopergate problem like 3rd period French once the convention gets going, and Gustav blows its way through Louisiana & Mississippi.

Unless, of course, they've come to the conclusion, as I have, that McCain is a complete and total nutcase. I wouldn't hold by breath for that particular epiphany to happen, btw.

I can tell you this, though: given all that has happened with the current administration, Troopergate and Babygate are nothing. The religious base won't care one iota and will forgive almost any sin of hers, because all they really care about is that she's one of them, and that is an extremely powerful meme, especially since many of them still think Barack is a Muslim. You shouldn't be fooled, either, by the fact that she's only the VP. With McCain, given his health and his dubious past, she's closer to the main chair than any recent VP, Cheney notwithstanding, and the base are a patient bunch.

What they see in Sarah Palin is the whole brass ring: the chance to turn this country into a provincialist, 19th century minded, fundamentalist theocracy, and that prospect more than anything else is what has fired them up. I know this because McCain just raised $7 million in 24 hrs, and the Democrats underestimate this at their peril.

If the rollers can get themselves a 50% or 60% turnout in the base, that in combination with all the dirty tricks the Republicans are likely to pull, could carry them over. And rest assured, the Republicans won't go down without a fight.