Earlier today, I talked about Sarah Palin's accomplishments as a reformer, and the potential threat she poses to the status quo in DC. Now I'm going to take a look at her counterpart on the Democratic ticket, Barack Obama.

(Yes, technically, she's put up against Joe Biden, but that's not how the matchups really play out. It's a race between two tickets, each made of one candidate who's been in the Senate for decades and run for president before, and one younger, exciting candidate who's making their debut on a national ticket. Indulge me, will ya?)

Most of my life, I've been told quite a few things, and have come to believe them -- mainly from personal experience: "There's nothing sadder than unused potential." "The things you regret most are not what you do, but what you don't do."

That comes to mind when I think about Barack Obama.

Obama came to prominence by rising up through one of the most corrupt political machines in America. (Calm down, Louisiana, I said "one of." Don't be so damned touchy.) He has remarkable charisma and wields considerable sway, and not once did he ever even try to use that to clean up Chicago. He showed he was more than willing to "go along to get along," turning a blind eye to corruption and abuses and outright crimes that are rampant in the Windy City.

For all his lofty rhetoric, Obama has almost always ended up playing it safe. Even when it came to picking a vice presidential partner, he fell back on the Machine -- he chose a man who has spent over half his life in the Senate, who has run twice for the presidency himself (the first time before Obama even started law school). Joe Biden represents -- hell, he almost epitomizes -- the career politician who has done almost nothing else in his entire life.

So, what kind of change does Obama represent? In his own words, projecting those of his detractors, "He's young and inexperienced and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?"

Well, that's one choice. Then there's the alternative. Sarah Palin is young. She's inexperienced on the national level (but has executive experience that exceeds the other three candidates' on the ticket COMBINED). She's got a funny nickname -- "Sarah Barracuda," "Sarahcuda."

And did I mention she's a woman?

She steals all of Obama's major points, and then adds an actual record of accomplishments AND standing up against corruption wherever she finds it, even within the highest levels of her own party.

There's one candidate who talks about Hope and Change, and one candidate who shows Change that has been realized, not merely Hoped For.

No wonder the Obamoids are in such a frenzy over Sarah Palin. She took their blueprint, built a real structure out of it, and is beating them over the head with it.

With a smile on her face, a babe in her arms, and clinging to a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other.

Yes, that's a complicated and cluttered image. I'm not worried. She's shown she is a hell of a juggler.