Michael Barone: Political Expert or Partisan Pundit?

Michael Barone thinks Palin is helping McCain big time in "The Frozen North" (which apparently includes Washington, making one wonder if he was tutored in climatology by James Inhofe). Twofold quibbling: 1) Does Barone really believe McCain is going to compete in Washington? If so, he must think McCain is a political nincompoop, since McCain doesn't appear to staffing up or running ads there; and 2) Opportunity cost - Palin might be helping a bit in rural Minnesota (despite McCain being down eight points in the Gopher State in the latest Rasmussen poll), but wouldn't Pawlenty have helped more?

Methinks Barone is letting his partisan hat (as opposed to his political expert hat) squish his brain his little.