Good choice?

[sleigh]

The McCain campaign has evidently acknowledged that McCain's VP choice is Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. Overall, I'd have to say she's a good choice for McCain. She's known as a reformer who has fought to reform the political abuses in her state, even those of her own party. She's young, thus somewhat negating the "McCain's too old" worries. She's female, an obvious attempt to court some of the Hillary supporters who said they'd vote for McCain. She's pro-life and staunchly conservative, so the Republican right-wing base will be happy.

She does, however, blunt much of the recent McCain campaign strategy of hammering Obama for his "inexperience" and that he's "not ready to lead." Palin has less of a pedigree on the national stage than Obama -- so if he's not ready to lead, neither is she. If he's inexperienced, she's even more so.

She's also currently involved in an ethic scandal investigation herself in Alaska (though, in fairness, from what I've read it appears that this may well be 'payback' for her aggressiveness in her own reform efforts.)

It will remain to be seen how this plays out, and whether it helps, hurts, or makes no difference at all. But -- I'd say McCain has made a better choice for himself than the 'frontrunners' all the pundits were touting.

What do you think?

Comments

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

I felt the same surge of "Oh damn! That's not a good choice for Obama..."

[barondave.livejournal.com]

But it's really good for Clinton. She can finally run as a candidate in her own right, and not as "history in the making". Palin may appeal to those few goppies who voted for Hillary only because she was female, but Clinton will relish the opportunity to draw comparisons.

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

Since writing that, I've talked with three women who were all of the mind that this was a BAD move for McCain to make, as she is anti-feminist and anti-choice, and that it could actually work in the opposite way of pushing female voters upset about Hillary back into the Democratic camp.

We can hope...

Also, they felt strongly that her lack of experience would work against her. While Obama chose a "known quantity" with experience to take over should something happen, the sense is that McCain, with his age and health already being an issue, would have been better off choosing someone who people would feel COMFORTABLE with taking over the country.

We'll see what happens. Politics make me so tired. I'm so far out of whack with the way "popular opinion" and politics run in this country, I feel like an alien.

[sleigh.livejournal.com]

Hope those women to whom you spoke were representative of most liberal/moderate women!

And I thought you were an alien. :-)

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

shhh.... I was hoping I had a good smokescreen going...