The Money Trail

There's not much I can add to the discourse about Sarah Palin's RNC-aided $150K shopping spree but I thought this item from The Huffington Post was important:

But what has some GOP operatives shaking their heads is the missed opportunities that that $150K represents. Had the RNC forgone the clothing purchases, they could have put more mail in mailboxes, more boots on the ground, and more advertisements on air.

Indeed, a look at some ad buy statistics provided by a Democratic source shows that the RNC put more money down on Palin's attire than they and the McCain campaign have spent on a weeks-worth of advertising in half a dozen, potentially, swing states.

That's why this latest debacle from the McCain campaign seems so inane and so thoughtless, yet so important. My fellow blogging buddy, J.P., argued today at his spot that these obscene clothing expenses are a "non-issue."

Clearly, we differ here. To me, it's a non-issue if you don't care about having two competent, introspective, responsible political parties to choose from. But I do, no matter how partisan I might seem at times.

You can't look at the steady GOP retreat in pivotal states this election cycle - many because of limited resources - and think this misuse of funds doesn't factor in there, somewhere. Were I a Republican donor or a Joe Six-Pack or a working-class voter, I'd be absolutely fuming.

Thing is, do you think McCain or Palin really care?

UPDATE: Palin on wardrobe flap: "If people only knew how frugal we are." On Main Street, I suppose that's considered a defense.