Sarah Palin’s Down Ballot Appeal

It’s pretty clear from this year’s dismal fund-raising efforts for Congressional candidates by the national GOP, and from McCain’s complete ignorance of such a plight, that the presumptive Republican nominee has had no clear strategy to help down ballot Republicans win in November.

McCain is obviously not serious about retaining GOP House seats in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Florida, which makes them ripe for taking by the Democrats. His choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate yesterday seems to highlight this disconnect even more. As the governor of a state whose total population is equal to several major American cities like New York and Boston, she’s not exactly well known outside the Last Frontier.

And speaking of Alaska, to use one example, Palin won’t bring much to coattails for Congress victories in her own state. She just tried to have Don Young ousted in the GOP Primary, and her relationship with Ted Stevens isn’t exactly warm, if you smell what I’m cookin’.

So if Palin isn’t that well known, how could she help Republicans win in Congress? Sure, she’s a hockey mom who has a son in Iraq, and yes that is a strong profile of character. But a party needs more than that if it’s trying to win, or defend, House and Senate seats in November.

So the question I’m asking is: If McCain isn’t helping down ballot Republicans, would Sarah Palin be any different?