Maverick or impulsive?

If this ABC report is to be believed, McCain’s choice may have been a bit impulsive. Apparently he really wanted Lieberman, but his campaign decided last Sunday that it wasn’t feasible.

The next day, McCain studied the three men at the top of his shortlist: Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. All had different strengths and negatives, but McCain was not satisfied. None of them had what McCain believed he needed to do — and would have done — with Lieberman. McCain wanted to shake up the ticket.

Pawlenty was too safe. Ridge was pro-choice without the novelty Lieberman would have offered. Romney was too much of an asshole. So he met with Palin once.

Once.

I don’t want to sound too cliche, but it becomes an issue of temperment and judgment. This woman could end up the leader of the free world in a heartbeat, or lack thereof. And he met with her once.