McCain's Hail Mary

McCain has decided to kill several birds with one stone by picking political ingénue, Sarah Palin, as his running mate. Firstly, he must have thought that picking a woman would attract the supposed masses of disaffected female Hillary Clinton supporters. Secondly, he sought to firm up the shakybacking of the conservative right by picking a stalwart of social conservative values, in particular on the abortion issue. Thirdly, he sought to demonstrate that he still remained a maverick that could surprise all and sundry with his eclectic, 'outside the box' choices. We shall see if he has slain these three birds outlined herein, but I seriously doubt it.

To my mind, McCain's choice represents a true 'Hail Mary' - that wonderful phrase from American sport commentary which denotes a last-minute, desperate, all-or-nothing, against-the-odds, gamble. The 'Hail Mary' pass or shot can result in a heroic win or in a crushing defeat, it is often the difference between perception of its maker as a true great of the game, or as a hopeless loser. The undeniable fact of the 'Hail Mary' however, is that it is a choice only made in desperation as a last, desperate plea to the heavens to forestall a looming loss.