That had to be a goodly part of McCain's strategy. If the fight stays between Barry and Baracuda, the worst that happens for our side is a draw. McCain gets to stay above the fray, and Obambi never really gets around to attacking McCain's positions. Meanwhile attacks on Sarah galvanize the base.
The Rats and their media lackeys are falling right into place.
Many years ago I read a Heinlein story where the plotline involved a local political race with a female war vet running against the local machine.
Much of the discussion was about the difficulty for a male candidate of getting too aggressive against his female opponent. Tends to piss off both men and women in the audience.
If anybody can point me toward the story I’d appreciate it.