I’m supposed to be writing about celebrities, not politics - but in this election particularly, it seems like celebrity has become at least as much of a hot-button issue as abortion. Accusations of being a celebrity are flung wildly even as candidates try their best to sell themselves - which is exactly what celebrities do.

Sure, they have a pretty short shelf life, but so do reality T.V. stars. Nobody would begrudge them their fifteen minutes.

Up until now, I hadn’t seriously considered the possibility that John McCain might be our next president. Barack Obama, regardless of how you feel about his politics, has inspired untold numbers of people who wouldn’t have otherwise bothered to go out and vote. That seems pretty hard to beat, especially with McCain being so unpopular amongst his core contingent of religious Republicans. But now, McCain has made a crazy decision. Crazy like a fox.

Ultimately, I don’t think that the choice of would-be Miss Alaska Sarah Palin as McCain’s V.P. will affect things. Hillary supporters were more interested in having a strong woman they agreed with in office, not just any woman. Palin is pro-life - a necessity for McCain’s campaign - but also a massive deterrent for the liberal women who would have voted Clinton.

I don’t think many sane people seriously believe that Hillary lost the candidacy because she was a woman; Obama was simply the better candidate this time around, and she will have another chance. Democrats don’t care about race or gender, they just wanted someone who could win.

For all its futility, picking Palin as V.P. is still brilliant. It is pretty much McCain’s only chance at bringing in voters he’d otherwise fail to tempt, and while it probably won’t work, it is a bold and clever move. This is proof that McCain will not go down without a fight.

Obama supporters probably shouldn’t lose any sleep over this, but Obama’s campaign needs to sit up and take notice. McCain might have a few tricks up his sleeve yet, and he should clearly not be underestimated. Remember, this guy survived a POW camp. Who knows what he’ll do when he’s cornered?

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