'God's plan' for Sarah Palin

In an "explosive" interview with "60 Minutes," top McCain political strategist Steve Schmidt says that Sarah Palin believed it was "God's plan" for Sen. John McCain to pick her as his running mate in 2008. While admitting that "McCain's margin of defeat" would have been larger without Palin, he adds that the Christian ex-Governor went on to hurt the campaign, and her own reputation, by saying "provably, demonstrably untrue" things. Is this more sour grapes from the McCain camp, or more evidence that Palin lacked the gravitas and humility to be VP? (Watch Schmidt discuss Palin on "60 Minutes")

At any rate, "God" didn't want Lieberman: McCain's first preference — pro-choice, pro-gay marriage Joe Lieberman — was unacceptable for "today's Party of God," says Andrew Sullivan in The Atlantic, so Palin was picked by default. Though Palin "had no notion of basic high school history. She barely understood what the Cold War was….didn't know what the Federal Reserve did….[and] couldn't tell you why there's a North and a South Korea," she was appropriately Christian in all the predictable ways. And that's an alarming "insight into the self-serving cynicism of the political elite."

"Medically unstable"

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Christians talk about God — get used to it: I don't get why this is supposed to be some sort of "controversial revelation," says Rob Port in Say Anything. "I’m not Christian," but don't most Christians feel their lives are in God's hands and "talk about 'thy will be done' and such"? This is "certainly not newsworthy," so clearly the liberal media are trying, yet again, to tar Palin as "one of those weirdo Christians…"

"McCain campaign chief says Palin thought her candidacy was 'God’s plan'"

If you recall, God has been planning much of our country's policy: What is it with these "delusional" right-wingers? asks Ben Hoffmann at Drudge Retort. If it really was "God's plan" to have Palin be chosen as McCain's No. 2 — or for the U.S. to invade Iraq, as Bush believed — "then God must really hate America." It's either that or Republicans have a "psychosis problem."

"God hates America!"

Palin will survive…but Schmidt is doomed: "The pathetic Steve Schmidt continues to lack the class and intelligence required to simply shut up," says Dan Riehl in Riehl World View, even if he was "forced to confess" that McCain would have done worse without Palin. After this, Schmidt better find another job: Any GOP candidate who now hires him to do "anything other than coffee and sandwich fetching" will be damned to "eternal hell across the Republican base."

"Schmidt trashes Sarah Palin, again"