Changing the Map

Marc Ambinder reports “McCain Campaign Sees Changed Map With Palin Pick.” Read the item, though, and you’ll that the map they see involves Palin . . . going to conservative parts of the country and speaking to right-wing interest groups. That’s nice, I guess, but this seems like an incredibly inauspicious year for Republicans trying to win with a base mobilization strategy. There’s no question that people who are very committed to extreme cultural conservatism and don’t otherwise care about governing — i.e., the conservative base — like Palin a lot. But normally “good news” for your ticket consists of people who might not vote for you coming around to your point of view, not just to your fans clapping louder.