Ah McCain, you've done it . . .

I think the American Presidential race just got a whole lot more interesting. If that were possible.

It has to be said. America is not ready for a black President. I don't think they are ready for a female President, hence Hillary's defeat. Obama is black, but at least he's male.

So McCain, a frail old white man - but a man - shoots himself in the foot by running with a female. And a dodgy female at that. Thereby alienating all those who breathed a sigh of relief when Obama got the nod.

John Key momentarily compared himself to Barak Obama. Now he can compare himself to McCain, in the sense that the only way he can lose the election is that if he does something so stupid as to convince voters he's not up to the job.

The first thing Key did along that path was to side with Labour on the anti-smacking bill. Has McCain started along that path by putting woman a heart-beat from the Oval Office? I'm sure they've done the numbers, but already Palin's family life and legal problems are overshadowing her nomination.

Perhaps that will send a number of voters - enough? - back to what they know best, two males at the helm. Even of one of them is black.

For the record, though, I still think McCain will win. But it will be close. Closer than it was going to be before Palin's appointment.