In my view, abortion is an issue that does not belong in the political arena, so I applaud the Economist for this denunciation of John McCain's cynical exploitation of an extremely debilitating aspect of American politics.

This opinion piece provides an international view of McCain's pick for VP from a fiscally conservative source. With regard to facts, it probably somewhat understates the degree of vetting that Palin received. However, with regard to ideology, the comments highlight a distinction between fiscal conservatism (at least the Economist's version) and so called "social conservatism" which are so often linked in US politics.

The Lexington column in The Economist is notable for its fiscally conservative bent; hence, it is of interest to read its take on the Palin pick by John McCain, particularly in regard to his temperament and his judgement.

The Economist is able to see that "abortion still distorts American politics." It notes that much more competent contenders for VP were passed over based on a litmus test to staisfy a minority view within American society. It is disturbing to think that American politics continue to dismay and scare the entire world. Why is it so easy for the Economist and the world to see that Palin "...is the most inexperienced candidate for a mainstream party in modern history."

If you've been paying attention to the GOP convention, you won't find much new here. But it's well organized and presented, and fairly thorough about covering some of the most relevant issues--as well as a few less relevant ones. I don't really care how old Ms. Palin is when her grandchild is born. I DO care if she supports the Bill of Rights (she doesn't).