BOSTON -- John McCain may have had women in mind when he made his pick for running mate, but my own informal in-house surveys show he may have miscalculated.

My two daughters (not to mention my wife) have never jumped on the Sarah Palin bandwagon.

They didn’t seem to budge when the rush to climb on began with her announcement as McCain’s running mate in August, nor did they register any excitement when the bandwagon had to hitch up a trailer for the overflow after her spunky speech at the Republican National Convention in early September.

Then, as the trailer was ditched, and the bandwagon itself went off the rails in the wake of the killer Katie Couric interviews , again, from the two youngest women in my house ... nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing.

Watching a close-up of Palin on the news, my 5-year-old observed, “She looks like Auntie Ruth.”

And doggone it, she does look a wee bit like my sister. (Minus the bun.)

Last night, the 5-year-old, unable to sleep, was watching the vice presidential debate taking place in St. Louis with my wife and I.

First, the good news for both candidates: she had nothing negative to say about either one. The bad news? She toddled back to her room somewhere in the middle of a question about healthcare and was fast asleep again within five minutes.

Now that’s flash poll results.

In fairness, it’s been easier for her younger sister. Only three, she has nonetheless from the start locked onto Barack Obama as her candidate, her touchstone on TV and, sometimes it seems, her special imaginary friend, too. The mere mention of his name on the news in another room and she hears it like a dog picking up a high-pitched tone inaudible to human ears.

A glancing photo in the newspaper, a magazine, a computer screen, brings the same reaction -- instant, gleeful recognition of “Ba-ROCK, O-BA-MA!”

(Joe Biden, alas, has not similarly impressed himself on her young consciousness, but at least she doesn’t say he looks like daddy. Not yet, anyway.)

Who knows why she’s picked Obama? She is not at liberty (or more to the point, the developmental stage) to say.

I do have one small clue as to why neither betrays any interest in Palin, even as a fellow female. The 5-year-old had chosen to root for Hillary Clinton.

There was a time, during the Democratic primaries, when both girls were able to watch their choices, side by side in debate, and feel equal. They could just as easily have been watching two cartoon characters, but the important thing is, there was one for each of them.

Then, the primaries over, Hillary was gone.

The big sister (Clinton) had lost something to her smaller sibling (Obama).

That had to hurt.

Obama, of course, is still very much here. But no one in my all-female household has broken for Sarah Palin to fill the void left by Hillary’s departure.

Given present national polls , my 3-year-old Obama girl is clearly politically wise and astute beyond her years. But after watching the debate last night, I realize her older sister is, too.

They may not vote yet, but they sure seem to know horse***t when they hear it.

And for the record, lest anyone take their support for granted, both sisters would vote for their dream ticket if only they could: “Word Girl” and Dora the Explorer.