If you consider all of the choices John McCain had as a running mate, each one brought as many negatives as positives to his campaign. That's how bad off the Republican brand is during this election cycle. He had to make a choice. The time for the decision was now, not later. His options were limited, so he took a gulp and named Sarah Palin.

As soon as the information was available to national media, political anchors were even asking on air, "How do you pronounce her name?" She's that unknown. She's also that inexperienced. No international credentials. No foreign affairs credentials. No economic credentials. No military credentials. But she is currently under investigation for ethics problems.

It's factual that she's a governor. But it's Alaska, a state with less population than many American cites. She is currently a "Commander in Chief", but it's the Alaska National Guard, which hardly faces a dangerous threat from a sneak Canadian invasion. She's barely a governor of a small state, only having about two years in office. Prior to that she was the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska which is about the size of Turley, Oklahoma. Think of the town in Northern Exposure. But she doesn't bring much harm to McCain's campaign, and she is a better public speaker than McCain.

There are several challenges for McCain with this selection. First, there aren't many remaining disgruntled Hillary supporters lurking about, certainly not enough to make one whit of difference in any state. She's totally unknown outside of Alaska and there's very little time remaining to sell her background to all of America. Because of McCain's very advanced age, it is a serious consideration who would take over the helm of our nation if something happened to him. It's actually scary to think about the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska having to face the international problems we now have.

Then there's the debates.

While she can give an acceptable public speech, in a debate she will have to answer questions. She'll be paired against one of the most knowledgeable and experienced individuals in America in military matters, foreign policy and issues impacting our economy. If you knew that was in your immediate path could you get up to full speed in only a few weeks to actually debate someone who's impeccable credentials were measured in decades of service?

While Sarah Palin doesn't bring immediate problems with her to initially distract from McCain's campaign, her problems will surface as she's actually judged against the VP candidate from the other side. McCain needed to do something. He needed to find a running mate that would be different from the ones on his short list. He found one. He found a novelty act. Not hard on the eyes, but lightweight in what to do, but for the first time a Republican candidate has picked a woman. That's about the sum of the positives.

Nice Post especially if you insert DNC instead of McCain and Obama instead of Palin.....well done

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"The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”
-Joseph Goebbels"

But then that would make it not the truth, unlike the accurate facts expressed in the post.

Oh but it does....your post is full of unproven assumptions. Me thinks the Obama crowd is nervous because McCain has taken away the only advantage Obama had....being a minority.....

Hillary is still haunting him...priceless..

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"The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over”
-Joseph Goebbels"

Can you imagine how pissed Mitt must be? He spent millions of his own cash and got millions of votes.....and......

.......he picked WHO?

They're still asking. "Who?" Then when told they say, "What?" It's like picking Barney Fife to head the FBI.

I actually think Palin was an extremely good choice for McCain. She will be attractive to both the Hillary defectors and the evangelicals, who McCain was having problems with. Also, she cant be attacked for experience since Obama has spent the last year and a half arguing that experience isnt the most important attribute. Also, her short political career means that she doesnt have as many dark secrets. The best thing for the Democrats to do now is for Hillary to go on the offensive against Palin. She's the only one who has a chance of bringing back the defectors. She needs to point out that Palin has the opposite position to her on almost every issue. If she gives a big speech about it, Obama and co will be able to follow up, but Hillary's got to start it.

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"The only things that are infinite are the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe"
Albert Einstein

"In a society that has abolished all adventures, the only adventure left is to abolish society."

[quote=atrasicarius;737257]I actually think Palin was an extremely good choice for McCain. She will be attractive to both the Hillary defectors ...QUOTE]

I beg to differ.

Palin is a pro life, pro gun, staunch Repuplican.

Hillary Clinton's supporters are for her because she's a woman who champions their beleifs and issues.

Frankly, I've always heard (from female friends/wife/sisters) that women judge other women more harshly than men do.

Do you really think a lot of these women will give up the issues they feel so strongly about just because Palin is a woman?

They want the glass ceiling shattered, but they don't won't risk letting McCain and this woman appointing a Supreme Court which will return us to the dard ages that existed before Roe vs. Wade.

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"Time to make the world a better place..." Hootie and the Blowfish, Drowning

(regarding my own posting, sorry, got distracted. Whoa that was ugly!!!)

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"Time to make the world a better place..." Hootie and the Blowfish, Drowning

She wont be attractive to the real liberal women, but she might be to the moderates. I know that some women (like my mom) are willing to compromise their standards a little bit just to see a women in the whitehouse. Of course, it's also possible that she'll drive some other moderates away with her positions on things like science education.

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"The only things that are infinite are the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the universe"
Albert Einstein

"In a society that has abolished all adventures, the only adventure left is to abolish society."