Open Thread: McCain-Palin!

I would love it.  To start with she is very conservative and will appeal to the base.  I love his pick being a woman.  McCain has not done as well among woman as Obama.  This can only help. 

Obama talks a lot about change but has no track record of it and his first big decision was choosing a 36 year liberal senator for his running mate.  That does not sound like change I can believe in. 

This is more proof that McCain is the one with the track record. McCain makes a bold pick of a reformer from outside of the beltway.

...who?

ex animo

davidfarrar

I'm pumped.  I am ready to give money to McCain for the first time after this brilliant choice.

Well today I have officially become excited about John McCain and President.

I intend to volenteer for this campaign. Maybe I am now seeing what Soren Dayton was trying to tell us at his old blog! Being a Maverick is good!

She has so many very positives including approval ratings in the 80-90s. The one negative is her age and experience, but then again, does the Obama campaign really want to go there?

Awesome pick. This could be HUGE for his campaign.

If McCain wins and something happens to him, I cannot even imagine having this woman as a president. My God, it's a scary thought. And the Republicans have the audacity to say that Obama is inexperienced and unqualified? This woman is unqualified and was a MAYOR not even two years ago!

This is such an insult to women.

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Kevin B

I'm saying it now: President Barack H. Obama, Jr., 2009 - 2017

Yes she will make history (although she's not the first woman on the VP ticket) but "Is she ready to lead" ? McCain's droning argument against an Obama presidency just was shot full of holes.

This woman is against abortion rights for women. Does the GOP think that women are that stupid that they will vote for just any woman? I guess so. The McCain camp is desperate after the Biden pick by Obama.

What was McCain thinking. My vote will go to Obama. This was a terrible choice for VP and really makes me question his judgement.
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Kevin B

I'm saying it now: President Barack H. Obama, Jr., 2009 - 2017

And right in line with Ross Douthat's Grand New Party platform.  She's a populist, a reformer, a conservative from working class roots (dad was an elementary school teacher), her husband's a Yup'ik Eskimo with years of experience in environmentally sound oil extraction, she's pro-life, pro-2nd amendment, a hockey-playing maverick of the female persuasion who's articulate, drop-dead gorgeous, well spoken, even-tempered, and best of all where Joe Biden's concerned, her nickname is "Barracuda".  She kicks ass and chews gum at the same time.  PUMAs will love her and she could bring Republican women voters out in droves for the first time in history.  And since women make up 54% of the vote, well - that's a wrap folks. 

Now we can focus on protecting the people of the Gulf and the convention becomes a no-nevermind overnight.  Who cares?  No convention could generate as much excitement as the buzz today.  Republicans, be proud of John McCain.  He has done for this party what was said to be impossible:  he's rebranding it in the most positive, personable, effective, competent possible way.  Women, be proud of how far we've come in the last century.  This is our year, this may even be our century, and oddly enough we can actually thank Hillary Clinton for leading us into it with her 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling.  As Bill Kristol likes to say, the great thing about a Democracy is that you can lie about your vote.  I feel quite certain I know who Hillary Clinton will be voting for in November.  It won't be Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  My gut tells me that this is the layup for a Clinton/Palin showdown in 4-8 years.  Wait for it.  It's coming.

I'm really excited about this choice.

It's not that she's a woman. That may help with the campaign but it's not why I like her.

She is solidly conservative, strong, experienced with energy issues, and has been effective.

No matter that her executive experience is a little lite. It's still more than the other three candidates put together.

Now, I will write a check.

McCain really does want to win this thing. 

Palin will be a huge boost to his ticket, no question.  Just look at how upset liberals are about this pick, and contrast it to how giddy conservatives were at the Biden pick.

It also is strategically brilliant because it will put the energy debate right back in the Democrat's faces.  Here is the Governor of Alaska saying we need to drill more in Alaska to secure our nation's energy supplies, and the Democrat ticket from the Northeast saying we shouldn't. Energy is the number one domestic priority on voter's minds, in my opinion, and it's an issue the public overwhelmingly sides with the Republicans on.

It's going to be hard for Obama to go after Palin's lack of experience, since she has more Executive experience being both a mayor and Governor.  It also opens Obama to that attack if he tries to make the point that experience is important.  Also, she's in the VP slot, not the one actually occupying the White House, big difference.

Republicans need to reach out more to women voters, the Democrats have taken too many female voters that should be Republican (ie soccer moms) 

Great strategery by McCain!

Palin brings nearly everything to the table that McCain could want in a running mate.