Why John McCain picked Palin

Palin completely changes the complexion of the election, and helps establish a narrative of two mavericks, one too old and one too young, waging an underdog quest against Battlestar Barack.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a 44-year-old with five children, a captivating TV-mom look and a brief and but weighty background as a reformer governor, has vaulted from relative national obscurity to star in a game-turning role as John McCain’s running mate.

I took an in-depth look at Palin in predicting this choice back in June in in a commentary published in Iowa Independent.

McCain tabs Palin as VP candidate

The Washington Post and numerous sources are reporting the John McCain has selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Here is the Washington Post:

John McCain has selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate, according to the McCain campaign, a surprise pick sure to shake up the race and reinforce the idea of the Arizona senator as a reformer.

Compelling Post in National Review

Kathryn Jean Lopez, editor of the online National Review, has a compelling piece about the choice Sarah Palin and her family made with a Down Syndrome child.

Here is Lopez:

Not only are children with Down Syndrome people too, they inspire a deep love and enthusiastic appreciation. Especially in the face of a culture that wants to expunge them. According to a study cited in the New York Times last year, “About 90 percent of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis have chosen to have an abortion.” (Emphasis added.) Most American women are given prenatal tests.

At 44, Governor Palin is a bit young and relatively new to the political scene yet. These are no small considerations when electing someone who could assume the role of president (Democrats: Check out your nominee with that reservation . . . ). But if the youngest life she and her husband care for can wake up a nation that’s blind to the eugenics in its midst, a routine part of medicine today, she and John McCain would be offering human rights and dignity a great, honorable service. In contrast to Barack Obama, who would let the survivors of botched abortion attempts be killed, the Palins could serve as a great clarifier for voters this fall — and an education.

Email From The Northwest

Just got this from someone identifying himself as Lou Driever:

I totally agree; there are now at least 3 websites pushing her candidacy. I've personally been sending e-mails to the McCain HDQ, Republican national HDQ and Oregon Republican Party HDQ for the last 2 months pointing out the advantages of her selection. If she pulls in just additional percentage points of the women's vote that's enough to time several states! Much more significant effect than having two "old white guys" on the ticket. And even if the ticket goes down in flames, at least it will be with style/class (versus current bland bland bland tedium). My two cents - thanks for the observations! Appreciate the insight.

Is it looking like Mitt?

Over at 411mania.com, the speculation is that Mitt Romney may be the VP selection and that such a move would be a colossal missed opportunity for McCain.


Here is 411mania:

I have to say that McCain is making a big mistake by not picking Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal. Nobody has been picked so technically they still have shots, but Jindal said the other day that he will not be picked and Palin's name never even comes up anymore so it seems as if she isn't even being considered. It's too bad. Both have risks and drawbacks but at this point, McCain has to try to light a spark in his campaign. He has been unable to catch Obama despite outspending him and now will have to deal with the fact that the things that have happened this week (Obama having a flawless overseas trip, Maliki and other foreign leaders backing his withdrawal plan, him coming off more Presidential than he ever has, and so on) have greatly weakened his chances and are going to make it much harder for him to win the Iraq debate.

Not Fitting The Bill

The Phoenix Business Journal reports that Sarah Palin may not fit the bill for McCain.

One source with knowledge of McCain's VP selection process said the Arizona senator would like to pick a woman for his VP if he could find a perfect fit.

Possibilities tossed about include U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

But a consultant, familiar with McCain's VP search who asked to not be identified, said none of those women fill the bill.

British Oddsmakers At 5 to 1 On Palin

The Allentown Morning Call has a story about British Oddsmakers who have Sarah Palin at 5 to 1. She's only behind Romney who is at 5 to 2.

2. Sarah Palin (Alaska governor): 5-1 odds An anti-corruption crusader and one of the most popular governors in the nation, Palin would also boost McCain's chances to woo female voters, but she's from a state that offers few electoral votes.

Post's Fix Has Palin 5th

The Washington Post's Fix has Sarah Palin 5th on the VP list.

Here is The Fix:

5. Sarah Palin: Palin's name doesn't appear on many vice presidential lists but if you believe that McCain needs to make a totally out of the box choice, she fits the bill. Palin, elected in 2006 on a reform platform, may well be the most popular politician in the country, and her story -- former high school basketball star and beauty queen, mother of five including a newborn with Down's Syndrome -- is the sort of narrative American voters could fall in love with. Plus, picking Palin would send a message to disaffected Democratic-leaning women that McCain is paying more than lip service to the notion of changing the face of the Republican party. (Previous ranking: N/A)

Palin Gets Her Time On ANWR

This from the Anchorage Daily News:

Republican Gov. Sarah Palin said she was not giving up hope that McCain, if elected, might end up reversing his position and support oil drilling in ANWR. Palin said she's encouraged that McCain changed his position to support offshore drilling.

Northwest Blogger Says Palin Should Wait

A Seattle blogger -- Sound Politics -- says Sarah Palin has potential as VP but should wait for the national spotlight.

Of note, it seems also clear that South Dakota Senator John Thune and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin seemed destined for a national ticket in the future too. For now, however, Thune lacks the managerial/executive experience McCain needs, while Palin's family considerations and Jindal-like short tenure as Governor necessitate a little more time on the national sidelines.

Palin's Energy Plan

An Alaska television station has a piece up today explaining Gov. Sarah Palin's energy plan.

Here is KTUU.com in Alaska:

JUNEAU, Alaska - A $1,200 check to help cover utility costs for all Alaskans is part of Gov. Sarah Palin's energy relief package.

The proposed one-time payment could be given out to anyone who has lived in Alaska for at least six months.

The Daily Palin For July 15

A British blogger gives Sarah Palin pluses for having a "Midwestern" brand of attractiveness -- even though she grew up in the Northwest continental U.S. and is an Alaskan now. Still, this blog -- Marbury -- is right.

Sarah Palin is the governor of Alaska, which isn't a fecund source of presidents or vice-presidents (have there been any?). But it's a young state and she might be the first. She is young (44), nice looking (and I mean nice in that sort of midwestern way, not nice as in hot, although she did win the title Miss Congeniality in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest) and currently the most popular governor in America, with an approval rate somewhere around 90%.

On more serious matters, The Fairbanks newspaper has an article on Palin's energy relief proposal.

An anti-Obama blogger pegs Palin as his second choice for VP -- but gives her some points.

Sarah Palin..... 1. Is a outstanding women who would no doubt bring in Soccer moms(Virginia/Indiana) 2. I believe she may help in western states, given Alaska is not right next to all of the Western states it does face similar issues.

With Biography Channel Vibe, McCain Needs Palin For More Here and Now

By DOUGLAS BURNS
Iowa Political Alert.com

John McCain's latest television advertisement running in Iowa has the inspiring quality of a well-crafted movie trailer.

It has an extraordinarily genuine patriotic pull as one sees a much younger McCain in Vietnam, then arriving home after the Hanoi Hilton. In short, the ad for the Republican presidential candidate makes one proud to be an American, to be sure, but it has a Biography Channel vibe to it. It just doesn't feel in the here and now.

Neither does McCain.

Is McCain a hero? Yes. Is the ad moving? Check. But what does that do for us today?

Focusing on war hero narrative and stock footage that just make him look older and more out of touch with people concerned about gas prices, groceries and looming household issues in swing state country.

People are paying $90 to fill up their trucks, and we even have the advent of a new term -- "staycation" -- for those who are using vacation time at home because they can't afford to travel. Meanwhile, McCain gives us former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm of Texas.

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," Gramm told The Washington Times. "We may have a recession; we haven't had one yet."

Added Gramm, "We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline."

You hear that from McCain's top advisor Gramm, and it does stick, because it is so wildly disconnected with what many Iowans see happening with their household budgets. A few wacky reverends, from the left or the right, veering into the information superhighway, feeds the 24/7 news beast and no doubt move some voters. But the comment from Gramm, a man McCain called his economic guru is deeply revealing -- a George H.W. Bush watch-glancing moment that is dismissive of just folks.

As we hear Gramm's remarks, we start to see the McCain commercial in which the Arizona senator essentially wants to re-fight the Vietnam War, dividing the nation along 40-year-old lines.

Here is the announcer in the ad Camp McCain titles "Love":

It was a time of uncertainty, hope and change. The "Summer Of Love." Half a world away, another kind of love -- of country. John McCain: Shot down. Bayoneted. Tortured. Offered early release, he said, "No." He'd sworn an oath. Home, he turned to public service. His philosophy: before party, polls and self ... America.

Even if you were with McCain in the 1960s, is there anything about that era remotely relevant to matters today. We all know McCain is a war hero. That card is punched. He needs to fill in the rest of the character sketch, make himself seem less historical, more modern -- which may be challenging for a 71-year-old who admits that he doesn't use computers and has never sent an email. One blogger has taken to calling the candidate McFossil in a riff on his age.

I am convinced that the most rapid way for McCain to turn this around is to select Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate as it would, among other advantages, train attention on energy issues.

Palin , a 44-year-old with five children, a captivating TV-mom look and a brief and but weighty background as a reformer governor, could vault from relative national obscurity to star in a game-turning role as John McCain's running mate.

She screams here and now. We can hear it all the way from Alaska. McCain needs her speaking for the campaign, not sinked ships like Gramm who flopped in a presidential bid in 1996 and seems to have lost the return ticket from his time trip back to that period in America.

The Daily Palin For July 14

In Alaska the big news for Gov. Sarah Palin is the ongoing pipeline debate and the sacking the police commissioner. But her invitation to Senator John McCain to visit ANWR is a major topic for those following her vice presidential possibilities.

McCain's national ads are tone deaf, focusing on war hero biography and stock footage that just make him look older and more out of touch with people concerned about gas prices, groceries. We just aren't hearing a lot of talk about terrorism in swing state country. People are paying $90 to fill up their trucks, and we even have the advent of a new term "staycation" -- for those who are using vacation time at home because they can't afford to travel.

I am convinced that the most rapid way for McCain to turn this around is to select Palin as his running mate as it would, among other advantages, train attention on energy issues.

John Gizzi reported in Human Events that Palin made the Alaska visit offer to McCain.

Philadelphia, Penn.--With John McCain still adamant in his opposition to oil exploration in the Arctic Natural Wildlife Reserve (ANWR), the governor of Alaska yesterday called on the soon-to-be Republican nominee for President to come to her state and see for himself the proposed site for drilling.

"I'm asking him to come up and see ANWR," Republican Gov. Sarah Pallin told me Saturday during the centennial meeting of the National Governors Association here.

Over at Liberyreborn.com, there is a post about Palin being a no-nonsense politician. Benningswritingpad has lengthy post about Palin with an impressive collection of photos.

The Investor's Business Daily Interview

Investor's Business Daily has an interesting and thorough question-and-answer session with Sarah Palin on energy policy -- with a final question about the potential of being John McCain's running mate.

IBD: Do you have any thoughts about being named as a vice presidential candidate?

Palin: I think that any kind of national profile, if there is any elevation of that, it's for Alaska itself. People are looking up here (and saying) we need you as leaders for energy policy. We have a willingness to develop responsibly and supply the rest of the United States, and that's why we are being looked at. I just happen to be in a position of leadership where I get drawn into that.

As for vice president, it would be certainly an exciting thing to consider, but to me it's so farfetched and out there that I don't spend any time thinking about it because we have so many things to do in Alaska.

Guardian Calls Palin 'Glamorous,' 'Dynamic' selection

The London Guardian:

Another possible female pick for McCain is Alaska governor Sarah Palin. She is the darling of the conservative wing of the Republican party, which McCain is seen as needing to bolster. Once a beauty queen in her home town of Wasilla, she has gone on to carve out an impressive career in the rough and tumble of Alaskan politics, earning a political image as a tough woman, famed for riding snowmobiles and eating moose burgers. She is also a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and has had five children. The political gossip blog Wonkette once dubbed her 'America's hottest governor'. Given McCain's age and crusty persona, a glamorous, dynamic female running-mate such as Palin would be a presentational bonus.

Repairing The GOP Brand

This from 411mania.com in a breakdown of potential VP picks for McCain.

The big question here is whether McCain and the Republican party have the guts to pull the trigger on a move like this. Palin could do a lot to rebuild the broken Republican brand, as well as provide a counter to Obama's message of change and looking to the future.

The British Are Watching

Writing in the London Guardian -- with that snide British voice (cue entrance of a smirking Hugh Grant) -- Suzanne Goldenberg gives a nod to Gov. Palin.


Here is Goldenberg writing about McCain's VP process:

A more unconventional choice would be Sarah Palin, the Republican governor of Alaska. A gun-loving, pro-environment, anti-abortion mother-of-five, including one child with Down's syndrome, Palin is hugely popular in Alaska and – in contrast to McCain – she is a youthful 44.

Palin Makes Move On Energy Prices

For voters tired of high energy costs, Sarah Palin, the Alaska GOP governor, and potential VP candidate, can actually point to firm plans in her own state for price relief.


Here is The Associated Press:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is proposing an in-state natural gas pipeline that could provide energy relief to the most populated areas of the state within five years.

Palin on Monday said the so-called in-state bullet line will not interfere with development of a proposed 1,715-mile natural gas pipeline designed to take North Slope natural gas to Canada and then to U.S. markets.

Homer Tribune Has Moving Story

The Homer Tribune (Alaska) has a moving post related to Gov. Sarah Palin's fifth child -- born with Down sydrome -- and the inspiration that has provided to others.

After Gov. Sarah Palin announced her baby, born this spring, had Down Syndrome, Thompson immediately wrote her a letter of encouragement.

"'The world might work against you,' I told her, 'but this child is a gift,'" Thompson said.

Not long later, Palin wrote a hand-written letter back to Thompson saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," and elaborating on her gratitude for the shared messages of hope.