GOP Role Reversal Is a First

Today First Read from MSNBC made a rather startling statement about the evolving roles of John McCain and Sarah Palin:

"Role swap: Speaking of… If you want more evidence that Sarah Palin has emerged as the true principal of the McCain campaign, just look at the weekend schedule. Today, John McCain -- the party’s presidential nominee -- appears on the “The View” and “Rachel Ray”; he’s down in DC on Saturday; and then he flies to New Hampshire for a NASCAR race there on Sunday. By comparison, Palin -- the running mate -- returns to the Lower 48 tomorrow, immediately holding a solo campaign event in Carson City, NV. The campaign has made it crystal clear who the campaigner-in-chief is. And it’s not McCain. It’s an astonishing and unprecedented development in American presidential politics. Essentially, the person driving the rallies, crowds, and campaigning isn’t the person running for president. Just asking, but when are going to start hearing this from McCain camp TV ads, “I’m Sarah Palin, and I approve of this message.”

Stay tuned.

- Richard Holcomb