So many folks seem to be so exercised about how much money the McCain Campaign has spent on Gov. Sarah Palin’s stylin’.  News reports today put the figure at about $150,000 for clothing, hair and makeup so she can look good in her public appearances.

Now, that’s a lot of money, and certainly more than most Americans spend on clothing and personal grooming expenses for their entire family and the families of everyone household in their neighborhoods in an average year.  In fact, it’s more than the average American family is going to spend on clothing, food, heat, housing expenses (mortgage or rent), car payments, gasoline, Dunkin’ Donuts every morning on the way to work for an entire year and a lot more.

When you put it that way, it is a lot of money. But, then again, no one in that average American family is running for vice president of the United States, or is making ten public appearances a day and having their picture taken at each one for broadcast on that evening’s news.  Walk a mile in those $1500 shoes, if you will . . . . .

Senator John Kerry paid anywhere from $400 to $1000 for his haircuts when he was running for president in 2004, depending on the news source you rely upon; Senator John Edwards was paying only a couple hundred for his, by comparison, unless you add in the travel expense to bring the styist to him, in which case the cost is around $1300.  Senator Hillary Clinton was paying a grand for her stylist, who was also traveling to catch up with her for the ‘do work.

Sure, there is a difference between what the average American family will spend for any essential in their lives and what those with far more discretionary spending money will pay.  It is the nature of things that this will happen.

Does it make any candidate less qualified, or more qualified, what they pay for their outfits or their personal grooming?  Does it have anything to do with how they would react to an international incident while in office?  Are they more likely to call for their stylist first before facing up to that incident?  A slight variation on that Billy Crystal line from SNL’s Fernando? . . . it’s not how you do, it’s how you look?

The issue tug of war continues, with the Democrats wanting to chat up the economy, and the Republicans wanting to keep things on an international level.  Democratic running mate Senator Joe Biden goofed a bit when he promised an international crisis test within the first six months of a President Barack Obama administration, and the Republicans have pounced on it.  The press, in turn, seems to have pounced on Palin’s attire.

It’s small potatoes, this wardrobe and grooming thing.  Let it go.  Some things are more important than others in Presidential politics, and this isn’t one of the important things.