It's especially humorous that some Democrats are being critical and even whining, saying Palin was not properly vetted by the McCain campaign. Their response to, dare I say, the perfect pick is to pretend it was somehow a mistake. In truth, McCain showed the world how it's really done! Democrats (and Republicans, too!) ought to be beating down McCain's door trying to learn from the master.
The most important benefit of choosing Sarah Palin as a running mate is because of her staunch conservative positions on issues. She is not only a supporter of the people's right to bear arms and the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution that protects that right, but she is also a life-time member of the NRA and an avid hunter -- a moose hunter, no less.
Governor Palin not only says of herself, "I'm as pro-life as a candidate can be", but she is also so committed that she, with full knowledge of his condition and willing to tackle the inherent physical and emotional challenges, brought to full term and gave birth to a son with Down Syndrome.
She has worked, even against her own party, to limit government spending and taxation.
These are the best examples of her conservative principles and the things about her I like best. But, that's the point. McCain has been less than exciting for authentic conservatives like me because he has abandoned some conservative principles. While he is a strong advocate for national defence and protection of human life, he has been week on illegal immigration, free speech, and has even bought into the Global Warming Hoax. For the first time, conservatives are invigorated about McCain's candidacy. This change is entirely because of his choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.
Other, more strategic, considerations add to the appeal of Alaska's governor as vice presidential nominee. For the aforementioned reasons, she appeals to conservatives. She is also an attractive candidate for some liberals, particularly women whose primary concern is that a woman be elected to high office. Some former supporters of the socialist, Hillary Clinton, will be drawn to the McCain ticket simply because his running mate is a woman. This will certainly be a minority, but every vote helps. The attraction of her gender is exponentially greater because of her long list of accomplishments, all the way from high-school to her recent successful endeavors as governor, combined with her commitment to motherhood, and her apparent enjoyment of her lifestyle. She has achieved the dream and demonstrated the potential for those women who want to "have it all".
For Independents and independent-minded party members, Palin is appealing as well. Having fought against the corruption of high-ranking officials in her own party and having taxed big oil companies enabling a $1200 'gift' to every citizen of her state, she is immune to any accusation of being partisan or beholden to constituents, but rather demonstrates a commitment to principles. Her advocacy for government transparency and accoutability are also particularly appealing to independents. I like it, too!
It has been pointed out that, as a mother from a small town, Sarah Palin is more in touch with real people and real life. An example is her sons enlistment in the Army. He is on his way to Iraq. She cannot easiliy be accused of being out of touch with regular folks.
Sarah has also brought to the ticket a tremendous asset in her talent for public speaking. She has blown the socks off, not only interested convention delegates and stump speech crowds, but also, and more impressively, the commentators and analysts who objectively critique her performance.
The last thing Sarah brings to the table is perhaps the most fun for me. While Sarah is indeed inexperienced by standards we've come accustomed to for a vice presidential candidates, her numerous accomplishments in her few years of service are a profound embarrassment to the name on the top of the opposing ticket. In other words, our vice president can whoop your president!
