It's a smart move because it's risky to criticize a mother for her anti-abortion positions when she knowingly brought a child with Down syndrome into the world. It's risky to complain that she's unprepared for the office (she's been governor for less than two years) because it smacks of setting a higher readiness standard for the only woman on a major party ticket, no less the only candidate with executive experience.
Heck, even pointing out that she was mayor of a small town and is governor of a small state risks offending Americans from small towns and small states - and there are plenty of such voters in swing states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and New Mexico.
Sarah Palin is a bad choice for America, but she is a daring pick in the literal sense for John McCain: He chose her in order to tempt Democrats and Barack Obama to attack her. That said, other than in brief response to her speech tonight, and her one-on-one debate with the Democratic vice presidential nominee, Sen. Joe Biden, in October, the Democrats should ignore her.
