After the landmark Democratic convention this week, Sen. John McCain decided to make a little history himself: On Friday he named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to become the GOP’s first female vice-presidential nominee.

It was a bold, out-of-the-box decision aimed at reinvigorating the Republicans and perhaps drawing support from women who were disappointed over Sen. Hillary Clinton’s failure to win a place on the Democratic ticket.

Palin could also help placate social conservatives who still have some qualms about McCain. She is a strong right-to-life politician. She also has a reputation as a ferocious ethics watchdog.

And for those who prize novelty, the 44-year-old governor certainly brings a “fresh face” element to the battle for the White House; before yesterday most Americans had never heard of her.

But as this newspaper noted earlier this week, the most important question in evaluating a vice-presidential pick is whether that person is prepared to step into the Oval Office.

Palin, with no national political experience and only a couple years in the Alaska governor’s office, is a very tough sell for the Republicans on that score. McCain’s age — he turned 72 on Friday — certainly doesn’t help.

The Republican presidential candidate has emphasized the importance of military and national security issues, and taken shots at Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama the Democratic presidential nominee for having only four years of experience in the U.S. Senate.

Yet McCain now suggests that someone halfway through her first term as governor is “exactly who this country needs” only one step away from the presidency.

Perhaps he and Palin will be able to provide more support for that claim in the weeks ahead.
But her speech in Ohio on Friday was devoted largely to broad generalities about the importance of public service and so forth. Her discussion of foreign policy was basically limited to assurances that McCain would be able to take care of everything.

Most American voters, particularly thoughtful independents, will want to see far more evidence that Palin has a good grasp of the challenges that this country faces — or at least evidence that she is a very quick learner.