'Commander in Chief' creator criticizes Palin pick

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By James Hibberd and Alex Ben Block

Older Republican candidate picks relatively inexperienced young woman to be his vice president?

Check.

The Republican dies of a stroke and his VP becomes the leader of the free world?

Hmm ...

ABC's "Commander in Chief," starring Geena Davis, played out this scenario in 2005.

With 72-year-old Republican nominee John McCain shocking Beltway insiders by tapping 44-year-old Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his veep pick, suddenly a portion of the "Chief" premise seems downright precognitive. 

"It's unbelievable isn't it?" said "Chief" creator Rod Lurie. "I think that Geena and I need to be paid royalties by the Republicans."

Lurie was reached by phone as he was leaving the Democratic National Convention, en route to Toronto, where he will screen his new film "Nothing but the Truth."

A Barack Obama supporter, Lurie criticized the real-life manifestation of his TV fiction.   

"People who understand politics know anything is possible," he said. "Picking a woman is an absolute strategic idea from McCain's point of view. He's not talking about governing right now. The idea of this woman actually facing down [Vladimir] Putin and negotiating with [Dmitry] Medvedev is idiotic."

In the "Chief" pilot, the qualifications of Davis' character also came under fire before she later proved her worth.

"We don't need the world to see a soft, indecisive woman commanding the troops," one character declared.

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Also, here's a Craig Ferguson clip from earlier this year where the late-night host said he got a "naughty librarian" vibe from Palin.