The GOP has Swift-boated itself

Oh, dear.

Usually it's the opposing party that makes unsubstantiated claims about a Presidential nominee. You know, like John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans.

The idea, I think, is to start some rumors--nothing hard and fast, just rumors--that most people won't bother to investigate. But they'll succeed in tarnishing the reputation of the candidate, and that will turn off enough people to affect election results.

So all right, this sort of thing happens. I expected the Swift Boaties to start after the GOP convention was over.

But this weekend has been a revelation. A soap opera. Why, it seems like only yesterday that rumors were flying all over the internet that Sarah Palin's daughter, and not Sarah Palin, is the mother of four-month-old Trig. Which, let's face it, was bad enough.

But now Palin has announced that her 17-year-old daughter Bristol, is pregnant and is due in December.

So naturally, rumors are spreading that this child will be Bristol's second child.

Now, the problem with rumors like this is that they will continue to spread up to and following the time as the subject of the rumor provides proof that the rumor is false.

I mean, a little thing like Barack showing a certificate proving that he was baptized won't stop people from whispering that he's a Muslim. Would it?

And so, even if Mr. Governor of Alaska's paternity is proven--it won't stop people from making snarky remarks such as "so much for abstinence-only sex education."

And as one commenter over at the Huffington Post puts it "not only is she going for the womens vote, now she is trying to get the White Trash vote." And now another commenter linked to a story that Palin and her husband "had" to get married. Shotgun weddings run in the family? Apparently so.

And the Democrats don't need to do a thing. McCain has done this to himself by selecting an almost-unknown quantity for a running mate.

I feel so sorry for Bristol Palin. The whole world knows about her situation now--or thinks it does. Frankly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

But I do know this. Even if I adored John McCain, I wouldn't vote for him at this point. His choice for Veep is--sorry if this offends the egalitarians out there--just too tacky for words. Is Blair House going to be the site of a shotgun wedding, where the mother of the bride is holding the shotgun? And she one heartbeat from the Presidency?

Not if I can help it.