The race heats up

In a nation where the entertainment industry has cast off situation comedies for voyeuristic reality programming, the back-to-back major political party conventions offered the best of both worlds. Part scripted pageantry, part unscripted reaction, the televised portions of the conventions captured the attention of millions of Americans in these last two weeks.

On the other hand, there are millions more Americans who would prefer to watch paint dry.

But even those who get hives when exposed to political programming were entranced by John McCain’s surprise pick for running mate.

McCain, the GOP’s best hope for the presidency, had his pick among Republicans considered to have been groomed for a spot on the bottom of the nation’s highest ticket. Instead, he reached out to the hinterlands and brought forth a virtual unknown: Gov. Sarah Palin.

As running mate picks go, McCain’s easily trumped Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden. Palin is a vivacious 44-year-old woman with a conservative political background, serving her third year as governor of the Land of the Midnight Sun. She wowed the crowd, which didn’t seem to notice at first that her GOP pedigree is tissue-thin.

Within days, it seemed the bloom had begun to wither. Reports of a brewing scandal in Palin’s gubernatorial administration soon emerged. Palin, a pro-lifer who has put all her eggs in the abstinence-only basket, then announced that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant out of wedlock.

Her husband once belonged to a secessionist group.

These issues are more sensational than relevant. Even Obama, who has the most to gain from exploiting these shortcomings, firmly stated that Palin’s family was off-limits.

That was a classy move, even moreso in that Obama seemed sincerely offended by the notion that Palin’s daughter’s predicament would be injected into the campaign.

Palin’s invitation to the dance certainly spices things up. Not only has a young, attractive woman crashed the Middle-Aged White Guy Club at the same time as an African-American candidate, but questions about her experience and McCain’s motive have redefined the race’s talking points.

As they say at the opera, it’s ain’t over till the fat lady sings.