Create new file: Sarah who?

John McCain has made news with another act of political non-conformity, picking Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential candidate. [Her official Web page is here, but it was jammed Friday afternoon.]

Why pick a national unknown, who is only 44 years old and has served only two years in statewide office? To appeal to the women who are miffed about Democrats not picking Hillary Clinton? To mollify social conservatives who will like Palin's pro-life, pro-gun record?

Or because, to paraphrase Monty Python, "She's beautiful, she's conservative, she's got huge ... deposits of oil and gas." [Original line, dealing with tracts of land, delivered in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" by Michael Palin, no known kin of Sarah.]

Chances are that Gov. Palin, leader of a state where the economy is based on oil, whose husband works in the oil fields, who once served on the state's oil commission, who favors drilling in ANWR, was picked to appeal to the ever-larger segment of the American electorate that wants to drill, drill, drill.

There's a lot to be learned about Sarah Palin. It will help the voters that the big newspaper in Alaska, The Anchorage Daily News, is owned by the McClatchy chain, which operates one of the best serious news operations on the planet.

Some instant blogalysis:
-- The AP's Ron Fournier: John McCain's risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to "hockey moms" and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change. But he may have undercut his best attack on the Democrat. If Obama is an empty suit, as McCain has suggested, is Palin suited for the Oval Office herself?
-- The Detroit Freep's Ron Dzwonkowski: Youth, gender, a background entirely outside the Washington Beltway, and enormous energy as a campaigner. She's a working mom with five children, has been in business and is a hunting and fishing enthusiast. She can claim a record as a government reformer and a tax cutter and someone who cares less about partisanship than about getting the job done.
-- The Dallas Morning News' Michael Landauer: Five reasons why Sarah Palin is a laugh-out-loud choice for VP.
-- Slate's The XX Factor: Never Underestimate a Woman with a French Manicure and the Smell of Fish.
-- The Washington Post's Gene Pool: Sarah problem here?
-- The San Francisco Chronicle's Below the Beltway: Sen. John McCain's long-ball choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was both brilliant and a clear and convincing sign of his total desperation heading into the Twin Cities after Sen. Barack Obama's knock-out convention.

-- George Pyle/Editorial Writer

Comments

[CHSInsider]

This is a phenomenal pick that will energize the GOP base. Great pick. Should be a great election!

[Joan Gunther]

McCain REALLY doesn't get it. Millions of Democrats voted for Hillary Clinton because of her national and international expertise, her leadership, her knowledge and her character. She also happened to be a woman, which was very appealing to many of us. Now John McCain thinks he can pull in Hillary supporters just by choosing a woman as running mate--one who has no experience of any kind beyond the hockey rink, the PTA, and the recent governorship of Alaska. America is confronting international terrorism, global warming, job loss, and an energy crisis. If Sarah Palin is Senator McCain's idea of the best candidate for VP he does indeed have very poor judgement. Does anyone remember George Bush advancing Harriet Meyers for the Supreme Court?

[Carl]

Joan
Exactly what experience does Obama have on international terrorism other than being endorsed by the heads of terror across the world and being good friends with the domestic terrorist Bill Ayers ? Also what experience on global warming and his positions on energy, no on drilling no on nuclear no on coal no no no please explain Obamas experience on anything. I hate to break this to you but Palin has more experience than Obama.

[Dave Marx]

When this first broke yesterday, I went to Alaska papers to see who she really was. Let's see now, a mayor who lowered taxes. Sat on an ethics commitee and did a pretty good job cleaning out corrupt pol's. Became governor and did some more cleaning up. Vetoed over 300 earmarks, sold the state Lear jet on eBay, negotiated and signed an International pipeline deal and still has an 80% approval rate. Hmm, sounds like a damn fine pick to me.

Seriously, I've been on the fence about McCain from the start but this pick has me excited. My God, a real person on a presidential ticket! When's the last time that happened?

[Celtic Tide]

People should know that McCain picked someone who is the closest thing to a normal everyday person than may have ever been on a presidential ticket. It also happens that she has a pretty good track record running the executive level of a state and city as well as legislative experience in her hometown, not to mention the PTA.

Personally, I feel that a leader from a PTA is better than a Union leader any day. To me, it's about being an independent thinker who doesn't owe anything to anyone. As far as I can see, Palin has few friends in Washington DC and doesn't seem like she will be going there with the intention to make very many. She's all business, the people's business.

[Don H]

She has done sensible and good things in her brief political career. Would that all politicians had done the same.

[Carl]

The lefty loons on these bloogs like adell, bobbycat and Henry are beside themselves,,,how can this be they scream''where's the experience ? She was mayor of a town of 9,000, where's her experience they demand, she will be a heartbeat away from the President they cry. This was a brilliant move and just maybe a Rovaian move. Only hours after Barokolopis while the hopeaholics were still drunk on $150 million $$ of kool-aid, with the words still ringing in their heads [ ASK NOT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY ASK WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU] the promise of free everything,short of a mint on their pillow. The air was sucked out of the room, what speech ? Wasn't that last week ? The trap was set and Obama and his hopeaholics jumped in with both feet. The first desperate response'' this takes experience off the table they plead. No No No the issue is all people are talking about [brilliant] Lets compare Obama was a street organizer dealing with only hundreds and a state senator in a small district comprized of empty boarded up buildings serving a few thousand, hmmm Palin served as mayor as chief executive officer then headed up the largest land mass state as Governor, balancing a budget meeting a payroll, fighting and beating large oil companies head of national guard etc. After only 4 months as US senator Obama feels he is ready ??? What where's the outrage ? Palin has much more experience and has accomplished much more than this affirmative action street organizer. I bet Sarah dosen't count as her friends,,domestic terrorists, anti white racists and slime ball con men slumlords,,,let the debate continue''' brilliant simply brilliant.

[I Love Broken Gold]

Phenomenal pick? You gotta be kidding me - it was nothing but an attempt to please evangelicals - the guns, gays and God crowd. Her claim to fame seems to be her anti-abortion position. Why is a woman in her 40s who already has 4 children, having more children? It's a medical fact that the chances for a child to be born with Downs' syndrome increase dramatically after age 35. How is the 'good hockey mom' going to campaign and care for a special needs infant? Epitome of hypocricy right there. Someone else will take care of this baby while she campaigns on a 'family values' platform. She will not pull in former Hillary supporters - she's anti-choice, pro war, pro NRA and not an environmentalist. Most Hillary supporters are not shallow enough to switch sides simply because Palin is a woman - an inept unqualified fundie woman at that. She's the anti-Hillary.

[carl]

This woman Gov. Sarah Palin is a dream come true, a breath of fresh air ,,how can you not love a woman who sold her corporate jet on E bay refused state trooper security and packs her own 9mm hand gun ? Obama promised to raise taxes and spend trillions and Gov. Palin wants to freeze taxes and cut trillions, a strict fiscal conservative, she is a historic pick and this country will love her.

[carl]

Good judgement?????
Obama voted for the bridge to nowhere'''McCain is one of only four who voted against it'''Gov. Palin killed it'''I't seems Obama may be building his own ideological bridge to NOWHERE'' Obama voted party line 97% of the time with the ave. democrat voting 87% what a moron''

[Harold]

Seems like everyone who doesn't agree with carl, he calls a moron. I can only imagine what he calls his wife and kids.

[carl]

Harry
I have never called anyone on these bloggs a moron, come close, but no. I do call Obama a moron every chance I get as a matter of fact not only is he a moron I feel he is a dangerous moron. That's my opinion.

[Dave Marx]

No matter what side you're on here, you have to admit that McCain's pick has certainly made things more interesting. I've been bored to tears with this election thats been going on, for how long now?

[Hank]

More interesting? I'd say comforting. Listening to Obama-Biden on 60 Minutes last night, for their supporters, puts this on cruise control looking at the real Odd Couple. Palin is about as 'maverick' as a pigeon. We can tell by the way Rush Limbaugh coos over her. John McCain should study his West Point military doctrine, when he finds himself in no-man's land. Oh, that's right, he finished sixth from the bottom of his class, then crashed four airplanes before he was shot down. But, he is a hero. Fortunately, we are here to run a nation.

[carl]

Henry
Just getting in the Naval Academy puts you in the top tier of all college applicants. Hey Henry where did Biden finish in his class ? Check it out and get back with me. ha ha ha ha and while your at it please tell me why Obama as president of the Harvard law review {affirmative action] didn't print one word in the review while he was president. This was the first time in the over 100 year history of the review that this took place' why is that ?

[BunInOven]

Looks like Palin is now going to be a granny. Here teenage daughter is pregnant and the daddy is about to get married in a good old fashioned shotgun wedding. Nice job Republicans, way to go with those family values. Now the Beverly Hillbillies are on the ticket. Palin and here clan might take a swim in the cement pond at the WhiteHouse. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!

[Hank]

carl, your're confused. This is about the qualifications to be President of the U.S.A., not the S.P.C.A.
And you just dissed college graduates from thousands of colleges and universities. Nice going.

[carl]

bunin oven
Didn't Obama's mother have a little bun in her oven at 17 ? And the father was a drunk who ran away and got killed in a drunk driving accident, Now that's a gene pool we all can envy.

[Barton Keyes]

The recent announcement about the pregnancy of Palin's 17 year old daughter brought up for me an issue not currently in the blogosphere: did Palin make the right choice for her family? And should McCain have asked her to make that choice given her family situation?
All politicians who seek higher office have to sooner or later address the issue of how their political ambition will effect their faimily. It appears to me that issue may be especially critical for Palin and her husband.
Both Palin and her husband in choosing to possibly go to Washington face a potentially dramatic change in life style. Both were born and raised in small town America, Palin in Idaho and Alaska. Being a governor in Alaska is dramtically different than facing 24/7 coverage in the fish bowl that is D.C., or the brutal scrutiny during an election run.
The family fishing business has to be sold or the husband needs to stay in Alaska. Teeenage children need to be separated from their mother so they can stay in the schools they have friends in or move to a dramtically different city and schools.
And now their eldest daughter will deliver a child, marry and struggle through motherhood under a spot light that can both elevate and destroy lives.
All this suggests that Palin's family could be about to pay a heavy price for the choice of serving one's country.

[Don H]

Didn't the Kennedys face a similar situation with small children? Doesn't every politician who still has children at home? Why make such a big deal about it?

[BobbyCat]

Of course the kids SHOULD be out of bounds, but as Barton points out, don't expect to run for VP and avoid the spotlight.

A better blog topic might be, simply:
"Is Palin qualified to be President?"

I'd like to see how some of these contortionist bloggers would try to spin out of that question.

And for the record, no, she is not qualified to be President by any measure, by any stretch of the imagination or by any tortured logic.

If McCain's argument is correct - that we face a monumental, life and death struggle with radical Islam...then how does it follow that we should elect a VP with ZERO foreign policy experience??? Talk about looney ideas - that takes the cake.

But in confidential GOP circles, the whisperers might say: "But Bush knows nothing about foreign policy either. Neither did Reagan. Neither does Palin. So what?" It's the 'ignorance is good' argument.

Senator Joe Biden is ready to be President without skipping a beat and would make a great one. Gov.Palin is a nice lady and would make a great buddy on a caribou hunt.

[Phil]

Republicans..ha ha ha ha....those who are passionate about thier right wing politics spin stuff faster than a blender. The group that preaches small government (yeah, right) and feels they know what is best for everyone gives you a VP candidate who has governed a state with a population smaller than Erie County for less than two years and before that was the mayor of a town with less than 6,000 residents (not 9,000). But she "is a maverick not afraid to take on her own party?" Big deal, those types are a dime a dozen on any local bar stool.

But I guess inexperience is the M.O. for this convention as our own greenhorn, Chris Collins, is scheduled to give a prime time speach to the GOP regarding running government more like a business. Like 99% of companies are managed wonderfully and never shut their doors!!! CHRIS COLLINS, the "businessman, a national stage?" Give me a break. Maybe he should at least get Pallin's "lengthy experience" first then address the masses. Well, maybe Republicans figure those undecided Americans will think he is cute too, just like Pallin. Great platform!!

What a joke the GOP has become! Wonder if Larry Craig and Newt will be giving any "family values" speaches this week?

"Republicans, not just for the rich, but the naive too!"

[Neil]

Sarah Palin has more executive experience (read decision making) than the entire Democrat ticket - no contest!

[Phil]

Neil - deciding whether or not to put polar bears on the endangered species list doesn't really count. But hey, if that is what your party is looking for, cast your vote. Like old man Ralph Wilson, lets hope McCain (if elected) sticks around long enough to serve his entire term.

By the way, I make executive decisions every day at my job and for my family (and my fantasy football team and for my pets). Your point being? Do they have no state senate in Alaska or is it a dictatorhsip?

[Dave Marx]

Okay, I'll bite.

How does being a state senator qualify anyone for anything? Look at ours; would you hire any of them at all? For anything? Seriously?