wombat_socho

It's entirely possible that he thinks they're right, on some level.

Palin was not a by-the-book choice by any means. She's charismatic, and a talented campaigner, so he might have been looking to take Obama on at his strong points (which are charisma and campaign planning). And she's definitely playing to the social-conservative base of the Republican party -- although that's as much a liability as it is an asset, given that that base has been running out of steam since the early 2000s and is getting smaller all the time.

But recall McCain's original comments about his VP choice -- that all he was looking for was the ability to become President. Palin is not, at the moment, a viable President; she lacks experience with and knowledge of foreign policy, knowledge of federal-level issues beyond the talking points, and the flexibility to deal with an often-hostile Congress, all of which are vitally important to the position. All of that may change in the next four years, and I do think Palin's going to be trying very hard to gain that experience.

But that's not really relevant. I think McCain chose her to complement his own weaknesses, didn't fully consider the requirements implied by his original position, and is now kicking himself for it. The polls support this line of thought -- they show his campaign going steadily downhill since Palin started talking to the press in earnest.