"She needed clothes," said McCain

What has some GOP operatives shaking their heads is the missed opportunities that that $150,000 represents. Had the GOP forgone the clothing purchases, they could have put more mail in mailboxes, more boots on the ground, and more advertisements on air.

Indeed, a look at some statistics shows that the Republicans put more money into Palin's attire than they and the McCain campaign have spent on a weeks-worth of advertising in half a dozen, potentially, swing states.

From October 13th through October 19th, the McCain campaign spent a total of $125,000 on advertisements in New Hampshire, roughly $90,000 in West Virginia, and $86,000 in Maine. In each of those states, the Republicans are fighting Obama for a small but significant number of electoral votes.

In North Dakota and Georgia, the RNC and the McCain campaign did not spend a penny on advertising during that same week.

In Indiana, the RNC spent $450,000 last week on ads while the McCain campaign did not spend anything. An additional $150,000 could have meant 33% more airtime over the course of a week.

Then there is Michigan. The GOP pulled out of the state a few weeks ago and so hasn't spent any cash on advertisements there. The $150,000 they put down on Palin's clothes would not have purchased much airtime in that large market, but it may have saved McCain from the public criticism that he was subjected to for abandoning the state.