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Rise of 'unknown' Palin is meteoric and historic

This may be a masterstroke or a dud on McCain's part. Alaska has produced some mighty interesting (and high quality) politicos through the years - most recently Mike Gravel. This will be interesting.

I like Sarah palin so far. However, we're voting for president, and the top of the ticket is more important. I just don't know what the Republicans are offering. Seriously, does anyone know ANY of their ideas and plans? We need to switch things up in order to keep everyone honest, and that's why Obama is a better choice this time. If he fails in office, then we can vote him out in 4 years, but I think he's worth the chance.

I know some Utahns will be disappointed with McCain's choice, but I think it will be a major boost to the ticket.

If Gov Palin can deliver even 10% of disgruntled Hillary supporters, that should be enough to win the election.

When the Democrats say she lacks the experience to be VP, they are digging their own grave for the even less experienced Obama.

When Democrats talk about creating equal opportunities for women, they will have to answer why Obama passed over several capable women and picked an old white guy to be his running mate.

If the Democrats point out that Palin comes from a small, obscure state, the counter is Biden is from Delaware.

There's also probably not a whole lot of dirt to be found on a newcomer from Alaska.

Came early this year for liberals- BOO!!! An intelligent, attractive, articulate, genuine, red-blooded, American female swoops in to profit from the mess created by "The One" when he chose like-minded liberal Biden. The worst part for liberals: the more Americans get to know Palin, the more they will like her, unlike "The One," who has consistently lost popularity the more the public gets to know him. "The One" enjoyed a predictable bounce this week in the polls which will be permanently decimated moving forward.

Well written story and very accurate with the exception of the subtitle. It's been a little longer then two years since she was the Mayor. Alaska will miss her if she is elected.

Wow! What a woman! She reminds me of my wife!

Sarah has been a great govenor so far - the best we've had in years. I am glad to hear that McCain chose her. I am a Republican but was kind of disappointed when Hilary lost, simply because the idea of a woman president is historic. But this gives us someone who is young, bright and conservative. Who knows, she might end up in Washington for 4 terms. I overheard a fellow Alaska express to his friend over the phone today that Sarah could out-fish, out-hike, out-hunt, out-snowmachine, out-do any of those guys in Washington. He just might be right. Go Sarah!

I like this pick by McCain. I've seen Palin speak on several occasions and she's an impressive lady. She's also a lot tougher than people think. (Think Margaret Thatcher here.)

Re: JTM

Voting Obama out in 4 years may be too late for US. We have some serious situations occurring around the World. I don't want to get in a fracas with Russia or Iran knowing we have a neophyte running things in the White House.

I would have preferred Romney because I believe he cares so much about this Country that he has willing to spend his time and resources to Elect John Mc Cain even though he done everything he could to derail Romney from getting the Nomination. He didn�t work alone Huckabee was by his side all the way. I do like Mc Cains choice because I heard her acceptance speech. I think she is serious about making big changes in Washington. Palin Has got it all together. She is a real conservative and John Mc Cain better be serious about straighten out Washington or he will have a real fighter on his Tail.

I have admired Governor Palin for a short while now. It's interesting that McCain (or a savvy staffer) seems to have cued in that the libertarian swing vote is at least mildly important.

Obama just lost this one. Take a polaroid, B.O., cuz this race is over. It was a brilliant move by John McDull, something I did not think him capable of. This race finally got interesting.

Can we all hope that shortly after this election that McCain finds himself utterly unable to perform the office of president and that Mrs. Palin will lead America? Yes, that is all we can hope for at this point.

While I'm disappointed that Romney is not on the ticket; McCain well played his options and convinced me to vote for him this fall. He really showed hhis maverick image with Palin as his VP. From what little I know about Palin I find her a gutsy woman in the Orlene Walker mold and I loved Walker in her short time as our governor. The one item that I know of about her that made national news was her pregancy of her youngest son and she showed what she was made of because she wouldn't temporarally give up her powers as governor to have her baby. Woman who play the helpless female card and can't do nothing while they are with child is a real turn off to me. What she did while carrying her child and giving birth says a lot to me about her character.

JTM, we know nothing of BO's plans besides generalities. If knowing what they are actually going to do is a reason to vote for someone, we have no reason to vote for either, beacause they are both short on specifics. BO says he's going to get us off foreign oil in 10 years. How? he's going to throw $150B of our money at it. He's going to reform health care. How? He's going to catch Bin Laden (you know, that guy the Sudanese offered to Slick Willy but Slick said no thanks) How? BO makes these great pronouncements but offers no idea how he's going to do them - probably because he has no idea.

Gov. Palin is a lot of things, most of them good, but one thing she is not: she is not the Republican candidate for president. Chances are good that Palin will have less of a say in a McCain administration than Biden would in an Obama administration. Her primary role will be to help McCain win the White House, not to help him govern the country.

For McCain this was a smart choice. And yet many people--including myself-- see this as a cynical attempt at scoring vote of the disgruntled Hillary supporters. Palin's positions on the issues, however, are almost diametrically opposite to those of Hillary Clinton, so she might not really help McLame.

It should not go unnoticed that Palin is an evangelical, which should help McCain lock up the Huckabigot vote.

In the end, I believe the Bush administration's abject failure will be an albatross too heavy for McCain and Palin to bear. Obama wins this election handily.

I am thrilled that a real red-blooded, strong American woman is selected as VP. It really was a master stroke for McCain. When the Dems say that Repubicans do not understand the issues, like the war or abortion, because the have not 'been there or done that' their answer is a mother of a soldier and of a special needs child, who has had to make those tough choices of what to support.And a card carrying member of the NRA, that just aggravates the Dems to no end.I am so impressed that she can take her child to work and breastfeed her child and work hard to support our nation. They cannot even say anything about lack of experience, since she has about as much as Obama. I have been so depressed about our upcoming elections, and this has been the shot in the arm the republicans need to win this November.Someone not afraid to choose the right and strongly support her government.God Bless her family as she goes through the national political process.

Sarah is a great choice! I think the democrats are upset as the announcement took away Obama's thunder. She has more management skills than the top of the ticket on their side.
JTM....just go to McCain's site and read what his plans and thoughts are. As you heard from Palin, they are much more realistic than filling up our tires and tuning up our cars and pledging to be off oil in ten years....something that is ridiculous...Are Oprah and Obama buying America new cars too????
Sarah is the one to help John run the country and I can't wait to see her against Pelosi......RRRRRRRRowwwwww

Now, that's my kind of politician - a real person with common sense. I wish she was the top of the ticket.

From bad to awful.If the national news would quit harping on the phrase"Heros" the comments on the two candidates may be believable.McCain on his 5.5 years of captivity and her on rearing a Down syndrome chid.Neither one has any relevancy to running a great nation!

JTM (above) asks what we know about McCain because it matters regarding what we can expect from him & what he plans to DO? AND suggests that Obama is so far a "better choice" because of that? It is obvious that JTM does not read much, does mot pay much attention to what these political people have DONE, fought for (not in the military aspect!) nor DONE. Over past DECADES McCain has LIVED a rare and lonely BATTLE in D.C. to STOP wasteful spending, crooked alliances and selfish "me first" individuals. anyone who has half-way kept up with our gov`t knows that even though McCain`s stands on things have made him VERY disliked in places, he has always been willing to BE the disliked one and openly defy wrong-doing. JTM (and others) shamefully are uninformed opinion holders! I hope enough people exist who KNOW what has actually gone on....There`s a reason, folks, for gov`t being considered corrupt! McCain has fought a good battle to try to keep it to a minimum!

"Great Choice" wrote: "...
When the Democrats say she lacks the experience to be VP, they are digging their own grave for the even less experienced Obama..."

With respect, it isn't Democrats who have been making the argument that "experience" is the primary qualifier for the White House. That's the argument that the REPUBLICANS have been making. They've been trying for months to claim that you can't qualify for President unless, mysteriously, you have a lot of years behind you in the government. After all, that's the primary difference between Senators McCain and Obama.

I doubt that any number of years or "experience" truly qualifies anyone to be president.

But the ability to lead does. And so far, it's Senator Obama who is winning THAT argument, hands down.