I'm beginning to despair of American voters. Just when I thought they might have emerged from almost eight years of Bush-stupor regretful, wiser, poorer and determined to make better choices, chances are they are ready to accept more of the same.
In the belief that nationals of democracies deserve the leaders they get, I wouldn't really care. However, it's an inescapable reality that whoever they pick as their commander-in-chief directly affects the lives of us all.
For a while there it looked as though Barack Obama had the presidency in the bag. It was no mean feat to wrench the Democratic nomination from Hillary and keep her on side without promising to underwrite her campaign debts or to appoint her vice-president.
Many US commentators likened Obama's whirlwind European tour to a premature lap of honour and, indeed, how could he go wrong? Everyone knew that this election belonged to the Democrats for the taking in light of the Bush administration's unpopularity. The fact that their candidate was a fresh face with the gift of the gab and the persona of a rock star made a Republican defeat a sure cert.
But that was before Obama massaged his left-oriented platform to appeal to centrists, hugged the pro-Israel lobby, shook his fist at Iran and appointed a boringly predictable running mate almost indivisible from the Senate furniture. More importantly, that was before the McCain team gambled on unleashing a secret weapon that could either hit a target or splutter like a damp squib.
A God-fearing, moose-hunting/munching, hockey-playing, ice-fishing, former beauty queen, who has acquired super woman status for successfully marrying family life with her responsibilities as Governor of Alaska, has reshaped the race.
Like Obama, the GOP's nominee for vice-president has star quality. Like Obama, she draws a hefty crowd. But there the similarity ends.
The difference is Obama is the real deal whereas Palin is an entertaining prop, plucked out of virtually nowhere to cloak a lacklustre candidate with the excitement he sorely lacks and to act as his attack dog.
With Palin, the McCain camp is hoping to grab a sizeable chunk of the Hillary faithful. She's youthful enough to attract the support of young women and conservative enough to be the darling of the old.
On behalf of independent career women, she's smashing glass ceilings while at the same time standing as a role model for motherhood. Her acceptance of and devotion to her Down's Syndrome-afflicted son is a testament to her character.
The fact that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is pregnant is evidence that her family faces the same hurdles as others across America.
In other words, women can relate to Sarah in a way they never could to so efficient Hillary, suspected of standing by her man as her ticket back to the White House, and in a way they never could to the multi-lingual, piano-playing, intellectually-intimidating Condoleezza Rice.
But now that I've paid Palin her rightful dues as a wife, mother and working woman, it's time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
Palin isn't suitably qualified or sufficiently experienced to take-over as President of the United States let alone leader of the so-called free world, should the call arise. And let's face it. Given that McCain is 72-years-old with disabilities that scenario is not outside the realm of strong possibilities.
While it's true that most beauty queens say their ambition is to change the world, nobody actually believes them. And I'm certain no-one envisaged Miss Wasilla back in 1984 one day presiding over the Oval Office, issuing executive orders, hobnobbing with European royalty, wrapping her head around geo-political problems with her finger never far from the nuclear button.
The essential Palin is a small town, gun-toting, evangelical whose office is adorned by the Israeli flag - not because she's ever been there but because Israel features large in her messianic beliefs. Her patriotism hardly extends beyond the borders of her home state Alaska (she once belonged to a party seeking secession from the US).
Her enthusiasm for political change is focused on drilling for oil in Alaska and overturning Roe vs. Wade. Her overseas travel experience is confined to a 2007 visit to members of the Alaskan National Guard stationed in Kuwait plus a quick stopover in Germany to meet with wounded American troops.
In most other countries Palin's resume would not pass muster for VP. But in the US, where actors such as Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger have achieved high office, a professional wrestler Jesse Ventura can become a state governor and a former president's errant son gets re-elected to the White House even after he took his country to war on a pack of lies and almost bankrupted it, anything's possible.
Smiles and wiles
I can't blame McCain for trying. But if the American voters fall for this smarmy ploy I suspect I'll not be the only one hurling unflattering adjectives in their direction. A new Gallup poll has Obama trailing McCain by three points. Naturally, it's been dubbed "the Palin bump".
True to plan, Americans are succumbing to the smiles and wiles of Sarah. They're being duped as Bush, Cheney, Rove and those whose interests they represent slap each other on the back. If the Democrats aren't careful, Oprah will really have something to sob about come November.
Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at lheard@gulfnews.com Some of the comments may be considered for publication.
