Palin Surprises Say a Lot ... About McCain

Sarah Palin is so entertaining to cover, from her daughter's pregnancy to her policy disagreements with John McCain, that Slate's John Dickerson is wondering if it's "being made up as we go along." After painting Barack Obama as the risky candidate, McCain made a choice even veteran party members are calling "reckless"—"and he might yet pay the price for it," Dickerson predicts.

Polls suggest Republicans are rallying around McCain, but independents wonder whether he really knows his running mate. Especially with Joe Biden making few waves, "the question is whether McCain has squandered his advantage with voters on the question of risk," Dickerson contends."Then again, people like me asking questions may be just the thing Republicans need to feel better about Palin." (More Sarah Palin stories.)