MCain's VP

[BiBottomBoy]

Does anyone know anything about Sarah Palin other than that she's governor of Alaska?

[TotallyOz]

Does anyone know anything about Sarah Palin other than that she's governor of Alaska?

Runner up in the Miss Alaska contest. She likes hunting and fishing. A longtime member of the NRA and a pro life advocate.

[BiBottomBoy]

The Anti Hillary!

I knew the GOP would do something to make my voting choice easier!

Go Obama!

[TampaYankee]

Is this McCain's Quayle moment?

It will be interesting to see how comfortable people will be voting for a 72 year old with recurring skin cancer with, only a heart beat away to take over, a former part time mayor of a town of 6000 now serving for 18 months as Governor of a state with the population of the District of Columbia. She has all the right right-wing credentials save experience which McCain now has taken off the table as an issue. (They had to know they were doing that which makes this choice all the more interesting.)

I'm sure the Republican establishment is flummoxed over this choice to say the least. What he gains in any disaffected female vote might be obtained at the risk of blue collar male support IMO. Not that they wouldn't vote for a ticket with a female VP, but Palin isn't Kay Bailey Hutchinson when it comes to experience. Given his circumstances it is not unthinkable that he might not be able to finish his term.

It will be interesting to see how this will play with the Bradley Effect voters and those on the fence concerned about experience at the helm.

I'm sure many GOP big wigs are shaking their head in wonderment with so many other GOP governors with tons of experience left in the wings.

It is interesting to note how apparently insecure the McCain campaign is, as seen in the abandonment of principled practices and policies of the past such as straight talk and clean campaigning in favor of the ad hominem and distortion practices and policies used against him in that past. Policies that were an anathama to him in 2000. Now this.

They have done a good job at neutralizing bumps by Obama. Negative campaigns almost always succeed at that. But they haven't been able to grow their own support over 5o% with those tactics.

Is this a desperate attempt to break the 50% mark? Is it too desperate? Or is it McCain's high profile act to demonstrate his Maverick credentials?

I'm curious if Obama's night tipped the scales to the Palin decision in desperation or was this a well and dispassionately thought-through decision. I suspect those big wigs would like to know that too.

Of course she might be a fabulous campainer and sweep the country by storm. The next 63 days will tell.

[BiBottomBoy]

If he wanted a woman he should have gone with Christine Todd Whitman. She managed to be bipartisan enough of a republican to govern New Jersey - which is one of the most democratic states in the country. And she gives a hell of a fucking speech.

Or else he should have just hit Obama where it hurts and picked Lohan or Spears and used them to pack his own Denver stadiums.

[Guest Conway]

To me it seems like a Geri Ferraro kind of pick. McCain really must not expect to win. If he didn't have the social conservatives before, he does now. As a Republican, she frightens me as being from the most polarizng element of the party.

[TampaYankee]

To me it seems like a Geri Ferraro kind of pick. McCain really must not expect to win. If he didn't have the social conservatives before, he does now. As a Republican, she frightens me as being from the most polarizng element of the party.

He must be trying to draw an inside straight. Stirring the passions of the hardcore base (inlcuding evangelicals) and hoping to draw disaffected women blind to the prochoice consequences.

All the hoopla notwithstanding, I suspect the GOP establishment is popping antacids like tic tacs. It was really funny watching the surrogates, caught flat footed, trying to hype the choice and point up her superior credentials to be Commander-in-Chief. Sometimes these charades can be funny even if pathetic. (That goes for the Dems too. Both parties could do with a lot less surrogates to embarass themselves and the Party.)

[BiBottomBoy]

I wonder if this is some sort of weird fund raising move since she comes from a huge oil producing state and must have the backing of the oil companies.