John McCain’s choice for running mate, Governor Sarah Palin, ignited a well documented firestorm. As most readers will know, conservative Republicans were suddenly re-energized, white women got involved in the elections because they had a candidate they could identify with, while liberal feminists - second-wave feminists, not ‘traditional’ feminists - exploded in anger.

The main reason for the feminist anger towards Palin was that Palin did not share any of their more radical views, which they connect to being a feminists and, perhaps, a confident and ambitious woman in general.

Palin is married, but her husband does his own thing; he’s not a follower. She gave birth to not one child - as even liberal feminists may do just to make a point / because they too want a child, deep down in their heart - but five. This was a major sin, according to angry left-wing feminists; after all a real woman should not give birth to more than one child. Children are used to keep women down. One is acceptable, but after that, no more.

On top of that, Palin is a successful, ambitious woman who opposes abortion and who is very religious. Opposing abortion? Being religious? Those are tools oppressive men / society use to prevent women from reaching their potential. As such, Palin wasn’t merely an opponent, nor even a member of the oppressing class, she was a traitor.

At the same time the majority of white women felt attracted to Palin. Not because they agreed with most of her views - some did, some did not - but because they could identify with her. What’s more, the average white woman is not afraid of religion, she is religious herself. And abortion; she may hold views on that subject, but it’s not a dealbreaker or -maker.

Conservative Republicans, meanwhile, were energized; finally they had someone they could support. The party was fractured, the moderates seemed to have won the battle for the heart of the party. Yet, John McCain needed the (Christian) conservative base to support en masse. If he would fail to energize the base, he would stand no chance of winning in November.

So he picked Palin, and his choice paid of immediately; hours after his choice was announced, (Christian) conservative Republicans started donating to his campaign on an unprecedented scale. It only took the RNC a couple of days to raise $10 million. Weeks later now, Republican staffers say that fundraising quadruppled after McCain decided to ask Palin to become his running mate.

The angry feminist outrage, meanwhile, caused increasingly more people to sympathize with Palin and thus with McCain. Those angry, radical ideologues tried to destroy her, and the ‘elite media’ were lending them a hand. Palin was attacked, butchered, the average person then identifies and sympathizes with the underdog.

But now, after all the smearing, dirt slinging and so forth, the time has come to reasess Palin, the running mate. Is she indeed a good running mate for John McCain, or is she a liability?

Like many, my initial reaction was positive in so far that it would help him in November, it would help him win elections. This is how most people who observe and analyze politics - especially in America - argue. Decisions are not analyzed on their own merits, but on what they will mean for elections.

That’s all fair, and interesting, but what should also matter is whether Palin is fit for the job.

After reading up on Palin and seeing her in action, I’ve got to admit I have my doubts.

Lets start with experience: Palin was mayor of a small town, after which she became the governor of Alaska - a large state, yet with a small population.  She was governor for a short while at the moment McCain chose her to become his running mate.

That’s some experience, but not a whole lot. Experience can be overrated, but it certainly is handy and useful.

Then again, John McCain himself is an experienced politician; he did not need a running mate who would bring experience to the table as such. He needed someone with knowledge on certain issues, especially the economy. For McCain knows a lot about foreign policy and national security, but the economy should be the major issue this year and will likely be very important indeed now that banks have collapsed and everyone in Washington talks of an impending recession.

When it comes to this issue - knowledge in general, but specific about the economy - Palin comes short once again. She doesn’t know half what she should know about the economy, and McCain does not either. This means that both cannot present a coherent, thoughtful plan for what to do - they have to rely completely on advisers.

Most presidents and vice presidents rely on advisers for such things, of course, but most presidents do possess basic skills and knowledge. Relying on advisers for details isn’t a problem, relying on them for knowledge because you do not possess it yourself is.

Bill Clinton may not have known as much as, say, Alan Greenspan about the economy, but he was informed and was always willing to learn more - it was one of his main characterists. This was one of the reasons why he presided over tremendous economic growth and was able to deal with economic problems. He knew what he wanted to do after his different advisers gave him advise because he understood what they were talking about.

This, I fear, is not the case with John McCain. Now, that would not have been much of a problem if his running mate would understand this complex issue. But Palin does not understand it either. She knows that Washington has to be reformed, she is pro-drilling, and she is a social conservative, but that’s it; there no more ‘there’ there.

The economy will be this year’s major issue; the collapse of financial institutions is, in the end, why Obama is leading in the polls once again. Voters turn to Democrats in difficult times, and perhaps rightfully so. They have been disappointed by Republicans too often.

There is nothing on the Republican ticket that would comfort voters who care about the economy and, what’s more important, reasonable objective observers such as myself cannot help but fear that if the Republican ticket wins, economic policy will completely be devised by unelected officials, who are ideologues rather than pragmatists.