When the news came that John McCain was poised to nominate a maverick female with executive experience in local government and as a governor to be his vice presidential running mate, I was hopeful. I knew and worked for such a woman: a county freeholder, then president of the State Board of Public Utilities, then a two-term governor of a major state, then a presidential cabinet member. More executive experience than anyone in the race. By a long stretch. I knew her to be tough, fair-minded, extremely independent, and courageous. I had seen her make the difficult, character-defining decisions only...