MORNING READ

As more and more revelations about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) become known, liberal bloggers criticize John McCain for making her his surprise veep pick. Palin is fast becoming a political liability and could soon drop out of the race, bloggers predict. But the brouhaha over the pregnancy of Palin’s daughter and her small-town credentials merely show that Republicans are more in touch with the country, according to McCain’s online allies.

McCain has shown “erratic” leadership recently by picking Palin, scaling down the GOP convention due to Hurricane Gustav and excoriating Russia in its conflict with Georgia, writes Josh Marshall at TalkingPointsMemo. When tasked with picking a running mate, among a presidential candidate’s most important decisions, McCain has shown “incompetence, cynicism, and recklessness,” writes Political Animal Steve Benen. More evidence in McCain’s poor judgment of Palin is seen in a report that she was a member of Alaska’s Secessionist Party, which put the state’s interest before the country’s, writes Matthew Yglesias.

Unlike Barack Obama, who spent a long period in the public eye during a prolonged primary process, Palin is relatively unknown and has shown herself to be unqualified to hold national office, writes TalkLeft’s Jeralyn. She and Daily Kos’s DHinMI ask readers when they think she’ll drop out. Though McCain likely thought he could have picked up more support from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) backers by choosing a female running mate, a Gallup poll shows Obama has gained among that group, writes Daily Kos’s DemFromCT.

But what Palin’s critics don’t understand is that the country will relate more to her because of her real-life experience, writes The Next Right’s Patrick Ruffini. If Democrats want to have a debate over a teenage pregnancy, they would only be helping McCain and Palin, who are pro-life, and hurting Obama, who is pro-choice, writes Townhall’s Mike Gallagher.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Erratic – Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
McCain is Fundamentally Unsuited – Steve Benen, Political Animal
Face It: They Didn’t Vet Her – Josh Marshall, TalkingPointsMemo
Alaska Independence? – Matthew Yglesias
What Day Will Palin Drop Out? – Jeralyn, TalkLeft
Democrats Are Defining Palin – DemFromCT, Daily Kos
Saving GOP and Lightness of Palin – A. Huffington, HuffPo
The Regular People Party – Patrick Ruffini, The Next Right
Bring It On, Democrats – Mike Gallagher, Townhall.com
What CW Doesn’t Get About Palin – Mark Tapscott, The Next Right

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
Hurricane, Palin Roil the Start of GOP Convention – Wash. Post
Disclosures on Palin Raise Questions on Vet Process – NYT
Pregnancy of Palin’s Daughter Shakes Up McCain Camp – LAT
Hurricane Gustav Fades in Gulf and Twin Cities – The Hill