HAS SARAH Palin become a liability for Republican vice-presidential candidate John McCain?
Since joining his ticket, the overnight political celebrity has seen the shine come off her poll standings and doubts surface among some conservatives once excited about her vice presidential candidacy. The Alaska governor still draws huge crowds and energises McCain’s drive for the White House. Yet, in a whirlwind month after he made her his running mate, Palin is starting to seem very, very vulnerable. A stumbling interview with CBS’s Katie Couric last week in which Palin equated her state’s proximity to Russia with foreign policy experience might have been her defining moment so far. Now, attention is shifting to her debate Thursday with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden. So far, Palin has been a huge hit with conservative and Republican voters, and McCain’s frequent campaign-trail companion; but also a candidate largely sheltered from reporters whose few interviews have prompted some Republicans to react defensively and at times with frustration. “If you only have on
