Chris Cillizza, author of The Washington Post column The Fix, has 5 pointers for U.S. Sen John McCain’s surprise pick for a running mate when she speaks at the RNC tonight:
- Reclaim her image by “selling hers as a uniquely American story full of the hopes and dreams as well as the trials and tribulations that any family faces;”
- remember the substance matters. “Given her thin resume (she has been governor for less than two years and before that was the mayor of a small town), Palin must — and we can’t emphasize this strongly enough — show a familiarity with national issues and an ability to speak intelligently about them,” Cillizza writes;
- blame the media for her problems so far (of course!);
- call out Obama, keeping with the traditional veep role of “savaging” the other side’s nominee; and
- be charismatic.
