The theme of the Republican convention, "Not Ready '08" (presumably directed at Obama), was established prior to McCain's erratic VP choice. Now that this theme is tinged with more than a little irony, it's no wonder the Republican operatives are scrambling to revise it:

Republican officials said that though they had time to collect surface-level material on Ms. Palin and her husband, they had done no examination of the rest of her family.

Beyond that, Republican organizers said the convention aides in charge of reviewing every speech delivered from the lectern are now on the watch for blunt attacks on Mr. Obama's readiness to lead, and reviewing how much to emphasize what had been the convention theme: "Not Ready '08." They are aware that such criticism in a high-profile setting would provide an opportunity for Democrats to make the same charge against Ms. Palin, who has almost no foreign policy experience and has been governor for just 20 months.

This fallout from McCain's VP-pick debacle dovetails well with the growing evidence that he is not ready in '08.

1. His biggest presidential decision to date, the VP pick, was a reckless and unadulterated failure; surely he could've found a more prudent way to motivate Fallwell's sheep.
   
2. While the Iraqis and Bush administration eagerly jump on Obama's timeline bandwagon, McCain still doggedly clings to occupation in perpetuity.
   
4. In the midst of an economic crisis, McCain sees light at the end of the tunnel, but he fails to recognize it's an oncoming train.
   
4. For the love of G-d, he can't even remember how many mansions he owns.

McCain's own delegate, citing his high-stakes, high-profile and high-risk VP gamble, evokes the question of McCain's readiness to put his ill-tempered or his successors inexperienced finger on the proverbial button:

Several Republican delegates said they too were shocked by the selection of Ms. Palin and, while they wished her well, were deeply concerned that she did not have the experience in foreign policy or national security to be commander in chief.

"We've been told for the last few months that experience is what matters most in the next White House," said John Scates, a delegate from St. Louis. "But McCain is picking someone whose experience is little to nothing or, at best, unknown.