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

[ellameena.livejournal.com]

I think that's why it's a brilliant choice. She has strong positions on some hot-button issues that are important to the religious right, but she still has a lot of positions that will appeal to the center such as feminism/women's rights, energy, the environment, and gay rights (as far as I can tell, her position on gay marriage is the same as Obama's). I think it neatly solves the dilemma of whether to choose a candidate to please the far right or the center. I don't know how it will work out, but I'm impressed.