What a bold, risky move. The main risk is that it requires educating the public, which is always a challenge.
But...
1. She has just as much experience as Obama. A negative for McCain since this removes that message somewhat from the campaign, but then she is VP instead of the Presidential candidate.
2. Change is not lip service for her. Obama did NOTHING of worth in the IL Senate except take credit for other peoples' bills handed to him by his mentor Emil Jones so he could look good. Jones saw the potential early on and set out to make a star. Of all the states that could use change, reform, an end to business as usual IL is probably at the top of the list or close to it. Obama was a Cook County party hack who has not deviated from the interests of the political machine, including endorsing candidates that are practically laughingstocks like Todd Stroger and Dorothy Tillman because that was required. Palin has not only forced real change in her state, she has done it within her own party. Obama looks like the empty suit he is, by comparison. This is really the interesting angle. The compare and contrast to what Obama says and what she actually has done is great.
3. She has some strong social conservative credentials. A negative to some extent, but... she does not appear to be a zealot on the issues and McCain certainly cancels her out with the ticket as a whole. Great for the base, perhaps no worse in general given she is a VP and not out of touch with many on those issues. The atmosphere is electric on the firearm boards. Also, little different from any number of other senior Republicans who still manage to get elected nationally or at the state level.
4. She has the gunowner/hunter vote locked up. Naturally shooting a M-4 on an Army range or posing proudly with the caribou she dropped. I would imagine most of the males in states like Wisconsin will vote for the ticket based on the caribou photo alone and secretly wish she were their wife. The women hunters, will likely wish their husbands were more like her
5. The elites in the Democratic party and the media will deride her lack of an Ivy League education, her humble roots, etc. But, they will do so at their peril. She appears formidable. She is admirable. She gives off a Harry Truman vibe. She is a proven reformer. And when people from both parties point to the mess that is Washington she is a full blown outsider. Obama may be a celebrity in the Hollywood mold, but she has the potential to be a celebrity in the "hell of a woman" mold who you would like to have a beer with.
6. Probably wont attract too many Hillery voters but when push comes to shove, they would vote for Obama anyway.
But, it all comes out to educating the public. And, let's assume most people are still voting for the president and not VP in Nov., one would imagine.
Charon
