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With John McCain holding steady in the polls at 7-10 percentage points behind Barack Obama nationwide, theories abound as to why his candidacy has trailed so far behind the Democrat. Aside from the obvious reasons such as the failing economy and popular disillusionment with the GOP, McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as Vice President may have something to do with it. A Washington Post ABC poll earlier in the month showed that 60% of voters feel she is too inexperienced, and less than half think she has a grasp of complex issues. Thirty-two percent of registered voters said her selection made them less likely to support John McCain for president, up from 19 percent the month before. But those numbers have not deterred Palin – she has continued to campaign and attack Obama’s policies as “socialist,” and that his presidency would make the US vulnerable to foreign enemies. Palin has faced a number of controversies since coming into the national spotlight, from excessive clothing bills, to the Troopergate scandal, and now, rumors of a growing rift between McCain and her advisers. Media reports abound of “Palin going rogue” and leaving McCain the dust – she apparently sees a future for herself in the party: prepare for a Palin presidency bid in 2012.

GUEST: Sue Katz, teacher, journalist, creator of the blog, Consenting Adult, author of Thanks But No Thanks: The Voters Guide to Sarah Palin