Palin, Governor of Alaska, is a right winger and religiously a creationist. For three decades God’s Own Party has flourished with the support of the religious right, the evangelical Christians, creationists and bible fundamentalists to a man. Now in a move as misguided as the Democrats selection of Son Of Goat Boy* the Republicans picking John McCain was a direct challenge to religious fundamentalism simply because he is so old his existence is living proof that God did not create the world four thousand years ago. Whether Sarah Palin’s presence in the campaign will be enough to counter that is questionable.

Had the Republicans chosen the right Palin, Michael, star of both the Dead Parrot sketch and the Spanish Inquisition sketch he would, as a Python, have appealed to those Southern Baptists who are obsessed with pulling snakes out of each other’s bottom holes and claiming they have removed the Devil and so proved that God exists. Add to that Michael Palin is an experienced television performer, a good speaker, not afraid of his Delhi Belly attack being filmed and broadcast and he is funny. He can appeal to the redneck constituency by singing the incredibly butch Lumberjack Son and to the intellectuals by singing The Philosopher Song. And everyone knows he is a really nice bloke.

By contrast Sarah Palin can …erm … and she can …umm… and harrum ... and she can kill Moo – oh poo, what’s the plural of Moose? Anyway she can kill them, lots of them, big bad tempered rascals, with her bare hands. And then make mooseburgers for her all American family from the meat.

It has been said that Palin lacks experience of foreign affairs but I think skill at Moose wrestling will come in very handy when she has to wrestle with the Russian Bear. And she can play an important role in strengthening relations with Sweden by offering her services to the City of Gothenburg where every fall they have a problem with Moose? Meece? Moosies? getting drunk on windfall apples that have fermented and going around picking fights with Volvos (Volvii – oh what the hell?)

So actually Sarah Palin may not be all that bad a running mate for John McCain.

I still think they would have done better by choosing Michael Palin though.