Anyone seeking political office is a fair target for criticism, but the trashing of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin by unidentified John McCain aides is undignified and unprofessional.
And McCain's silence amid the attacks demonstrates a lack of class for someone who wanted to hold the highest office in the land. After all, McCain was the one who picked the Alaska governor to be his running mate.
Love her or hate her, Palin was a lightning rod for many Americans in the presidential election. While she energized portions of the Republican base, other voters questioned whether she was ready for the role as vice president.
It's something that will continue to be debated, especially now that Palin is fighting back against Republican critics by going on a public relations offensive.
We're not going to take sides on the subject of whether Palin was the right choice. Pundits can argue the point, but what's done is done.
But it's unseemly to see how quickly some McCain aides tried to push Palin under the bus once the election was over. These anonymous sources are portraying Palin as a diva and a dunce.
If that's what they believe, what does this say about McCain's judgment? The biggest decision a presidential nominee makes is selecting a running mate. If McCain whiffed this one, it reflects poorly on him.
That's why his silence is puzzling. If only to defend his own reputation, McCain should have Palin's back.
The comments also reflect on those whispering McCain aides. What were they advising the GOP nominee before the Palin pick? Or was it that McCain didn't trust them enough to listen to their input?
It's normal for a losing campaign to ponder what went wrong and seek to assess some fault. Palin should not be held blameless, but she shouldn't become the sole public scapegoat either.
There's plenty of fault to go around for the McCain-Palin defeat. We suggest those anonymous sniping aides look in the mirror to see where some of the blame belongs.
