John McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate is bold. But it is also dumb.

At a stroke, McCain has negated his most powerful argument – that Barack Obama is too inexperienced to be president. Sarah Palin has been governor of Alaska for less than two years. Six years ago, she was the mayor of a town of 9,000 people.

Her personal story is interesting and has a certain charm. But I winced as I heard her describe the valuable experience she had gained as a member of a Parent Teachers Association. And this is the person who might end up having to deal with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Hu Jintao. And remember, McCain turned 72 today.