My Republican friends in the US tell me they are still in shock from August 29, when McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP candidate.  To pacify radio talk show blowhards (popular with the Religious Right) and the Pro-Life crowd, the Republicans are throwing away 60 years of successful branding, sighs Mrs. M. I'm personally for Obama, but one likes to think that whatever happens, either candidate was qualified to be President.

The Republicans had a case that the Democrats were weak on defense and national security, and they lacked the will to win in a world at war in three areas:  Iraq, Afghanistan and terrorism.  And then there's the ‘Economy, Stupid!'  According to my friends, superiority on these two fronts could have been enough to win the Grand Old Party the election.

But by choosing Palin, the Republicans have lost whatever advantage they had.  Here, (a heartbeat away from the Presidency) would be a woman who has only left North America once (Canada and Mexico),  who totes machine guns (pro-N.R.A.), has little national security or economic experience, who advocates teaching creationism in public schools, who denies the existence of global warming, who opposes same sex couples and unions.  Whew!

It's sadly the truth that now the Christian conservatives dominate the Republican Party.  In addition to her other views, Palin favours public funding for home-schooling, she is against stem-cell research, and she opposes explicit sex education and supports the abstinence-only birth control.

As my Republican friend says, ‘If McCain wins, we'd better pray for his health.'  And Andrew Sullivan commenting upon the Palin candidacy in the Sunday Times New Review suggested, ‘We have a right to be frightened.'