Even before she joined John McCain at the podium to address the nation as the Republican vice presidential nominee, pundits and Democrats chimed in about Sarah Palin's supposed "lack of experience."  Even Obama's campaign opened up about it.  Bill Burton, his campaign spokesman said

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency."

Well, Mr. Burton, the alternative is electing your candidate:  a less-than-one-term U.S. Senator.  But while someone might respond to that by pointing out Joe Biden's extensive foreign policy experience, one thing is clear:  Joe Biden ain't at the top of the ticket.  On the Republican side, John McCain is.

Another big reason why the Democrats don't have a leg to stand on in their critique is the obvious reality that having Joe Biden on their ticket runs contrary to Obama's theme of changing politics in Washington DC.  With nearly 40 years of experience in the Senate, Biden is the consummate Washington insider.  That's fine if "experience" is your selling point, but last time I was on the highway all those Obama bumper stickers I saw said "change," not "experience."

With the McCain-Palin ticket, the experience is where it counts most: in the man who would be serving now.

Finally, it's worth noting two additional points.  First, neither Obama nor Biden have executive-level political experience.  There's a world of difference between serving as a legislator and serving in an executive branch.  Palin brings balance to the Republican ticket with experience as governor of Alaska.  Second, both McCain and Palin have shown a willingness and ability to buck their party line.  It's hard to find a pair more ideologically aligned with the Democrat Party than Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  For all their talk about change and a new way of governing, Obama-Biden's core philosophy consists of nothing more than what George Will refers to as "liberalism's most shopworn nostrums."  If you liked Carter, you'll love Obama-Biden.

The Democrats began attacking Palin from the outset because the pick was quite clever on McCain's part, and they know it.