McCain's half-baked Alaskan

Sarah Palin’s family feud with her former brother-in-law, which formed the subject matter of an investigation dubbed “Troopergate” by the media, finally came home to roost yesterday and the result was not a Norwegian omelette but rather a half-baked Alaskan.

The inquiry into the conduct of the governor of Alaska found that she had abused her powers of office in order to try and get her sister’s former husband Miles Wooten fired as a state trooper. In addition, that she had acted partly out of a grudge in firing Walt Mohegan, the police chief, because of his refusal to sack the trooper.

The investigation does not recommend criminal proceedings against Palin but confirms that she is in violation of a statute of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act.

Without doubt we are about to be snowed under by media reports on the abuse of power and how this would impact at a national level if Palin were to be elected vice-president and, circumstances permitting, possibly even president.

The fact is that this is all academic right now.

As we have progressed towards the US presidential election I have repeatedly highlighted the battlefields where this one will be won or lost. In essence, if the focus is on the economy Obama is home and dry, while if compelling matters of national security come to the fore, McCain would be the next president.

Yesterday £2.7 trillion were wiped off the value of global markets, coming on the back of weeks of financial meltdown.

In order to win the race McCain will need to start World War III to compete with that.

Don’t bet against it.