Could Palin be gone by week's end?

OK, here's the prediction: Citing "personal problems," Sarah Palin of Alaska will withdraw her name from vice presidential consideration by week's end.

Blame it on Alaska, where long, cold nights are not known for abstinence of any kind.

John McCain will replace Palin with either Tom Ridge or Joe Lieberman, his preferred choices before the Christian fundamentalists howled their protests and stuck him with Palin.

Both Ridge and Lieberman are pro-choice and anathema to the Religious Right.

With no backing from the evangelical "base," and wounded by the Palin fiasco, McCain will plummet in the polls.

That said, we need to remember that he is still running in the United States of America where vote tallies (as opposed to actual voters) twice handed George W. Bush the highest office in the land.

Don't count McCain out until the votes are counted — until, and if, ALL the votes are counted.

P.S. If you want to put money on whether Palin will survive on the ticket, go to the Intrade prediction market. Investing in Palin's resignation is rising as I write this.