So should it come as a surprise that, as reporteth Jane Mayer, some of that very conservative punditocracy that is now dissing Sarah Palin and her running mate for choosing her should have been part of the vetting party that pushed her into John McCain’s arms? Nah. For all the pious chatter about readiness for the job, vice presidential selections are usually about electoral calculation, and what the cruising cons–neo, paleo, and pseudo–saw was a pretty face who could pray with the best of them:

Before the meal, Palin delivered a lengthy grace. Simpson, who was at the luncheon, said, “I told a girlfriend afterwards, ‘That was some grace!’ It really set the tone.” Joe Balash, Palin’s assistant, who was also present, said, “There are not many politicians who will say grace with the conviction of faith she has. It’s a daily part of her life.”

And they wanted one of them.