"May you live in interesting times"

It's official - this will be a historic presidential election regardless of who wins. McCain picks Alaska Gov Sarah Palin as veep! I'm sure Mitt is disappointed, but it's a bold move that should bring some unhappy conservatives back to the voting booth.

While these are not necessarily my issues; she is strongly pro-life, an NRA member & hunter, thinks we should drill for oil in Alaska, and has a son who'll deploy to Iraq before the election.

She should play well with many disenfranchised Hillary voters - some, certainly not all, but maybe enough to make a difference.

A friend notes "Interestingly enough Obama choosing Biden defangs a lot of his arguments about McCain as an insider - a possible minus for Obama. Palin gives McCain more of the guy trying to change things - a possible plus for McCain."

I was mildly rooting for Romney, but I doubt he added enough to the ticket. Biden just gives me chills, but I'm sure most traditional liberals think he helps Obama - trouble is, he needs more than that group to win.

I wonder if McCain/Palin can pull some conservative congress-critters to D.C also? I expect a lot of turnovers this year.

NOW will probably shoot Palin down on the pro-life issue - their one issue doesn't seem to be women when those women are conservative.

McCain picks surprise running mate - Yahoo! News UK:
"Republican John McCain made a surprise choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on Friday, adding a political unknown to the presidential ticket who could help him appeal to women voters.

Palin, 44, a self-described 'hockey mom,' is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong anti-abortion views, a record of reform and fiscal conservatism and an outsider's perspective on Washington.

'She's exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second,' McCain told a roaring crowd of 15,000 supporters in Dayton, Ohio.
. . .
The choice of Palin was a risk for McCain given her lack of national experience, but her record in Alaska will help him reinforce his reform message. Palin built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals.

Elected in 2006, she is Alaska's first woman governor. She is also an avid sportswoman who would bring youth and vitality to the ticket. McCain turns 72 on Friday and would be the oldest person to take office for a first term in the White House if elected.
. . .
The choice of a vice president rarely has a major impact on the presidential race. Palin will meet Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in a debate in October.

McCain and Republicans open their national convention on Monday.

In his acceptance speech on Thursday, Obama attacked McCain and linked him to the Republican policies of President George W. Bush. He also said McCain was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education."