A quick Google search shows that a number of commentators (including Andrew Sullivan and Dahlia Lithwick) have already compared presumptive Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to withdrawn Bush Supreme Court appointee Harriet Miers.
To be sure, there are parallels, including criticism of both by David Frum (here and here) and Ramesh Ponnuru (here and here). But there's a big political difference too: Miers infuriated the conservative Republican base, while Palin, if she appeals to any constituency in the party, appeals most to conservatives.
But suppose that because of the "heartbeat away" concerns, there is an outcry to replace Palin on the ticket. Could Sen McCain do so if he wanted to? Of course, if it happens before the convention vote, there would be no issue. But even after the convention, as far as the Republican rules go, the power to replace is right in the hands of the RNC, which surely would bow to a McCain replacement decision. Rule 9 provides:
(a) The Republican National Committee is hereby authorized and empowered to fill any and all vacancies which may occur by reason of death, declination, or otherwise of the Republican candidate for President of the United States or the Republican candidate for Vice President of the United States, as nominated by the national convention, or the Republican National Committee may reconvene the national convention for the purpose of filling any such vacancies.
(b) In voting under this rule, the Republican National Committee members representing any state shall be entitled to cast the same number of votes as said state was entitled to cast at the national convention.
(c) In the event that the members of the Republican National Committee from any state shall not be in agreement in the casting of votes hereunder, the votes of such state shall be divided equally, including fractional votes among the members of the Republican National Committee present or voting by proxy.
(d) No candidate shall be chosen to fill any such vacancy except upon receiving a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the election.
Cokie Roberts (ABC): "No governors have foreign policy experience."
And Palin is a Republican. Business as usual!
The choices this year are Obama and Barr - and the GOP has no one to blame but itself.
I'm voting Barr this year, but know Obama/Biden is a far better choice than McCain/Palin.
The question for the McCain camp at this point is would killing the Palin nomination cause them less damage than sticking with the choice.
Citing Palin's "executive experience" as a mayor is a dangerous ploy. During nearly all of her term, her local newspaper constantly ran editorials excoriating her incompetence and back-room cronyism. There is plenty of ammunition there to seriously damage her candidacy.
This looks like it might develop into a major campaign issue, another instance of McCain shooting from the hip and hitting himself in the foot.
It's not dangerous but it's lame. Republicans don't know how to debate. All they need to do is look at history (which even liberals aren't doing), and look at the previous VP candidates.
Even so, as bad as Republicans are at defending Palin, Democrats are equally bad at defending Obama on experience.