Though McCain held his own in the debate with Obama, it looks to me like his campaign is taking a nose dive.

He’s made some very bad decisions over the past week.

McCain cancels Letterman. Letterman rips McCain – Christian Science Monitor

But his weird and brave choice of Sarah Palin as a running mate is what will ultimately sink the McCain battleship.

When Palin was asked whether the $700 billion bailout of the U.S. financial sector is a good idea, her answer was gibberish:

That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, we’re ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy. Helping the—it’s got to be all about job creation too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans and trade—we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as competitive, scary thing, but one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today—we’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. …

Sarah Palin – still not ready for prime time – Christian Science Monitor

What questions is Palin prepping for while hiding from the media, if not that one?

Newsweek is a little more succinct: Palin Is Ready? Please.

This election is over.

… Of course that’s what I thought in 2004. I was traveling in South America at the time. Everyone was certain that George W Bush would lose.