Don't go feeling too sorry for Sarah; she will be heard from again (and again and again), and is likely to become the best and most effective spokesperson for the fundagelical right, which may or may not be an endangered species. I also believe that she will be able to adapt and change if and when she realizes that her current stance is no longer viable.

I saw an exceprt from her stump speech over this past weekend and was very impressed. Yes, she was "preaching to the choir" of her supporters, and not beoing subjected to tough questions, but she was a very effective and skillful orator, a side of her that I had not really seen before.

She'll continue to use those considerable skills in support of the neoconservtive agenda as long as that works for her, but if and when she realizes that a new approach is necessary, I think we'
ll see that she'll be able to adapt. She's much too singlemindedly ambitious not to.

As far as John McCain is concerned, I don't think he needs us to feel sorry for him. He's undoubtedly better off NOT getting that lousy stressful job, which wold probably have killed him, and he bowed out VERY gracefully. Watching and listening to his concession speech, I felt like I was seeing the old John McCain, someone I had always admired and even liked despite idelogical differences, for the first time in months.

I wouldn't be surprised to see President Obama rely on McCain as a helpful, moderate, "elder-statesman" voice in the Senate, or maybe even to appoint him to some post in an administration that will very probably be historically bipartisan.