… but Will Ruger of Texas State University makes the case for why the Alaska governor ought to be John McCain’s veep pick:

Palin could do something few Republicans seem interested in or able to do these days: Help fuse the two pillars of the Reagan Revolution, traditional conservatives and libertarian Republicans.

Palin can win the hearts of conservatives, given her strong pro-life views — views that were backed up with action this year when she gave birth to a son with Down’s syndrome. It would probably also help with these folks that her oldest son recently enlisted in the Army. And she can excite libertarian Republicans, given her fiscal conservatism as governor as well as her reputation for anti-corruption, love of guns and the outdoor life, and moderation on social issues other than abortion.

I’m not sold on Palin yet — and if I were, I wouldn’t want her to be tied to McCain — but politically she would be a good choice, much better than Kay Bailey Hutchison. I’m hoping against hope, though, that McCain will go with Lieberman. That’s the neocon dream ticket, and it might just be egregious enough to wake complacent conservatives up to what has happened to their movement.