Agenda for Vice President Sarah Palin

When opinion polls are adjusted for the Democrat-favoring slant in the sample of voters, McCain is in a dead heat with Obama. This means that his chances of winning are remarkably good, given the broader political circumstances. There is at least a 50-50 chance that he will win.

If McCain becomes the next president, he must give his vice president a very active role. He wants to appoint her the energy czar of his administration. This is a good opportunity for her to show that she is capable and ready to be president after him.

But improving the nation's energy infrastructure is only the first of Vice President Palin's duties. As representative of a new generation of Republican leaders, Palin will have to show that she can defend core conservative values on the national political scene. Given McCain's past as an aisle crosser there is a considerable risk that he will compromise his recently reinforced conservative credentials as president. When that happens, vice president Palin must be ready to stand up to him and mark her independence.

This is a delicate matter for the vice president, but in Palin's case it is necessary for the future of conservatism in American politics. A centrist McCain presidency will do significant damage to conservatism, as conservatives rallied to McCain after his choice of Palin as his running mate. Knowing his own conservative credentials are a bit weak, McCain placed the responsibility for conservatism on her shoulders. If she becomes a loyal vice president it will be virtually impossible to build a strong, credible conservative leadership in the Republican party.

If on the other hand vice president Palin taps president McCain on the shoulder once in a while, and outspokenly reminds him of what conservatism really means, she will gain more conservative street cred and be a forceful conservative candidate in 2012. This activist role may be unprecedented for a vice president, and McCain may not be comfortable with it. But contrary to what conventional wisdom would tell us, vice president Palin does not answer to president McCain. She answers to the conservative voters whom she rallied and who will make the difference between defeat and victory for McCain in November.