VP: It’s Sarah Palin
CNN has it. No link yet. In your face, Keeler! 
She’s been my McCain VP prediction, and my preferred choice, for months now. I think it’s a good move. If you’re keeping score, I predicted John Edwards for Obama- man, was I way off! After that little fiasco, I moved on to Clinton. That didn’t work out either. I like Joe Biden, so I’ll be fine, thanks.
For those that never heard of her, she’s the governor of Alaska, relatively new to the political scene. Her bio will soon be all over the place, but for now, here’s her wiki page.
This is supposed to be officially announced later in Dayton, Ohio.
Here’s that CNN link.
Here’s an interesting pro and con from Jonah Goldberg at The Corner.
LisaRenee at Glass City Jungle:
In talking to quite a few people recently, especially moderate to conservative women who had voted for Clinton, the idea of a Palin pick was appealing to them for a variety of reasons. One of which of course is that she is a woman, another was even while dubbed conservative she has demonstrated the ability to stand up to political corruption.
Yes.
Here’s the official announcement site, via The Corner.
Clips & Comment has NBC video, along with some hope that a connection to Ted Stevens, the indicted Alaska Republican senator, can be found.
One thing about this pick, it puts the maximum breaks possible on the Obama convention bounce. If McCain had picked Romney or Pawlenty, it would’ve generated news of course, but the Palin pick generates something more than that. Pro or con, I think people will be having a more passionate response to this choice- and that’s something the McCain campaign was missing. It may or may not pay off in November, but the effect is certainly helpful now, the day after the Dem convention ended. Obama’s speech will barely have 24 hours in the news cycle.
Jill Miller Zimon at Writes Like She Talks:
…this is a HUGE miscalculation based on thinking that women chose Clinton because she’s a woman. That voter did it because she’s a pro-choice woman, not because she’s female. The campaigns have a lot to learn and accept about how women choose. Sexism is really going to sting them - because we just do not vote that way. As proven by Obama’s win.
Some women will vote for a woman because she’s a woman. (Nothing wrong with that when it’s for a first.) And why were so many Democratic women so strongly for Clinton? It’s not because she’s stronger than Obama on abortion rights. But there is a point there. Pro-life women were probably already on board with McCain. On the other hand, a lot of people, even many women, are not single-issue voters on abortion.
Buckblog: “It smacks of pandering.”
With his VP pick of Sarah Palin, John McCain has just thrown away one of the only reasonable attacks he had against Barack Obama: lack of experience.
Yeah, it was reasonable now that he can’t use it anymore. Heh. But that is a valid point. As I wrote in comments at Ben Keeler’s Ohio Politics blog:
Interesting that Obama’s pick tends to undermine one of his arguments against McCain, Washington business as usual, while McCain’s pick would tend undermine McCain’s argument against Obama, inexperience. Though out of all four people on both tickets, she’s got the most executive experience, i.e., some.
Americans have preferred former governors as their presidents since Jimmy Carter.
More round-up by Eric at Plunderbund. Some lefty lowlights include Tim Russo at Blogger Interrupted:
McCain thinks that because Sarach Quayle Palin has vaginal tubes, women who supported Hillary will suddenly flock to him.
Vaginal tubes. Classy as ever, Tim. Also Chuck at the Chief Source:
Now John has a new trophy around. As we should all be aware, John left his swimsuit model first wife when she started gaining weight and shrinking as a result of a car accident. He left her for Cindy, who was much younger and prettier….and had a lot of money to help him run for office.
But Cindy is now old and frail, so she must be concerned that very attractive Palin is going to steal her man.
I’m not overly familiar with that blog, but that strikes me as beneath that writer. It’s just sexist stereotyping, isn’t it? (It’s ok when liberals do it.)
Less disagreeably, here’s De Magno Opere: “Brilliant choice - if you want to stamp out the Obama flame for a day or two - and want to lose.” I had a similar thought. The greatest payoff for the Palin pick might just be today and maybe tomorrow, for squelching the Democrat convention bounce, which is already at 8 points according to Gallup- more than my humble prediction- and that mostly doesn’t include Obama’s speech last night. Michael also links to this story on the investigation into Palin’s “controversial firing of former state Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan.”
[…] 3: this piece from The Corner at National Review (curtsy to Columbuser that covers some of the pluses and minuses of Palin as the […]
Thanks! The link to the Corner was an interesting read. I don’t think his predictions as far as how some in the media will treat her are going to be wrong. As a mother of five, for her to have accomplished what she has, I think she’s evidenced she’s strong enough to handle what’s coming. McCain has the proven record of foreign relations experience, similar to why Biden was brought in for Obama to balance his ticket, Palin could provide what some are looking for to be able to vote McCain.
Yes, I think she shores up some of McCain’s weaknesses. She has executive experience as a governor- though not much, and she’s solidly conservative, if that’s anyone’s bag, which McCain has trouble with. (Though I think McCain’s reputation here is a bit overblown.) She’s rather like Bobby Jindal, another VP longshot: that rare Republican that some people are actually excited about.
Jill makes a HUGE miscalculation by forgetting that a solid majority of women are pro-life. And Plunderputz doesn’t realize that their primary attack weapon against Palin (which the BO campaign has already trotted out) of experience immediately raises the glaring shortage of experience at the top of their ticket. How exactly are they going to make that point without making themselves vulnerable?
Palin is a remarkable choice who shores up the conservative base, appeals to the soccer moms, and will energize the GOP. Democrats have much to fear. This election is about small percentages, and this will put the GOP over the top.
Huge gamble, huge upside potential.
Romney was the best choice until the whole number of homes issue came up. It made it impossible. GOP enthusiasm has been boosted by this. We will see. But looking at the big picture, I think it is a smart move.
[…] there. Obviously our rightwing friends are very happy as Palin appears to be a certified wingnut: Columbuser, WMD (yikes! another horrid new design), Bizzy, Naugle is silent (but sure to be on board soon), […]
Ben: Maybe it’s a gamble, but I’m not so sure. Die hard Obama supporters are dismissing this selection with a vehemence that might suggest serious concern on their part. (Too early for PDS?) But from my unscientific browsing, I think a lot of centrists and undecideds are warm to the choice, even if they’re not totally swayed just yet. The first big test will be her speech in St. Paul.
Russo seems appalled that Gov. Palin would rather give birth and raise children, rather than try to rape them.
Geraldine Ferraro thinks it is a genius pick. McCain just sealed the election for his side. He did what obama should have done.
Obama would have won the election if he would have chosen Hillary as his running mate but his ego would not allow him to do it.
Quit drinking the kool aide. Palin is an outstanding pick, this is a change election, Palin is no Quayle. Far from it, she should be the one running for President.
First of all it’s funny how you gloss over the fact she has more executive experience than Ohio’s own Ted Strickland. She is a GOVERNOR OF ONE OF OUR 50 STATES! Oh but it’s only Alaska, that’s like being a senator from Delaware! Unlike Teddy Strickland, Palin has an 83% approval rating. She has done an outstanding job as governor, and unlike Obama, she can actually cite accomplishments in office.
Palin is a bright, engaging, likable, strong, multi-talented tough woman. Her family is not wealthy, she literally has the credentials of a working class American family that people will identify with.
Steelworker husband, accomplished athlete, the more you hear her speak the more you like her.
Heck she’e even pretty.
I enjoyed seeing obama and biden backtracking with their congratulatory phone calls after first criticizing her selection and than feeling the heat in the press. Of course this obama camp is experienced in attacking a woman candidate ala Hillary.
I liked Palin’s speech criticizing the old boy network and praising Hillary and Ferraro.
BREAK THE GLASS CEILING !!!
WOW … What a great pick!!! America should elect
McCain & Palin for the Whitehouse in November,
for a return to wholesome American values.
An experienced Governor for V.P. vs. a
community organizer for President … I pick Palin.
No Wright, no Farrakahn, no Ayers, no Rezko,
no mean Michelle, NOBAMA