As I am told, Palin is pronounced the same way as Halen in “Van Halen” – probably not a very good association for this conservative VP candidate – as everyone and their mother are talking about her, I cannot stop thinking about this particular choice. Clearly, I don’t have the grasp of politics that would allow me to launch into a detailed analysis of what this selection means for the upcoming election. What surprised me the most was an orchestrated campaign to praise this choice by right-wing circuit: I mean I realize that most of the things said about her are going to be partisan, but the whole thing leaves even the most cynical part of me wondering about the present political discourse and its crushing ability to talk up or talk down basically anybody. In a sense, this move by McCain shows that whoever told him to do this, knew that it is all about likability of the person, not about the political credentials – I know I’ve been reading about how people vote with the gut, not their head, but this is becoming a bit ridiculous… I mean watch this, for example, – really? Do Republicans really think that people are complete morons?
Good God! I once vacationed in Czech Republic, so this gives me a couple of points on Eastern European bloc in my “foreign policy expertise” – CV corrections here we come! – I mean the woman has an experience simply being located in the close vicinity to Russia! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the suggestion that Russia is such a powerful country that simply being in its presence gives you all kinds of experience, but this is just too much – and Cindy McCain is saying all this with a straight face and George S. doesn’t even produce a single giggle! I think Obama’s camp should just completely ignore Palin and let the ridiculousness take its course – Republicans will vote for McCain even if his running mate is a ham sandwich, Democrats will go for Obama, and, hopefully, those mysterious “undecideds” who are in it for attention, of course, will finally decide…
Perverse Egalitarianism 
I’m thinking it’s pronounced like Palin, as in Michael Palin of Monty Python, he of “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government,” “Spare a talent for an old ex-leper,” and “I’m going to have to sell the lot of you for medical experiments” fame.
Otherwise I’m with you on the ignore.
I, for one, wish someone had told me BEFORE I got a grad degree in international relations that I could have just lived NEAR foreign countries in order to glean expertise. I hereby declare myself an expert in Russian Policy because of the month I lived in Kodiak, Alaska and an expert in African Politics and History because of the month I lived in Kampala, Uganda. Also, my expertise in genocide clearly came from my 4 days in Rwanda. If I’d known this two years ago, I’d be SO MUCH RICHER RIGHT NOW!
As a historian I have no trouble with this sort of distant expertise. After all, none of us have ever been to 19th century Italy, but we say stuff about it all the time.
I’m thinking of taking up remote viewing for an even more effectively ersatz non-proximity knowledge delivery vector.