On the surface, she appears to be exactly what the Reps criticize Obama of being, too young and inexperienced. Younger than Obama and in the first term as Governor. Is it because it's VP that makes it suddenly OK?
4 years ago, Obama was just a state senator. No, she's not very experienced, but it's not like the VP really has to do much, anyways.
Seriously, I am excited. FWIW, my mom, age 73, has been committed to voting Obama, and I'll check with her, but I bet she's going to pay attention to Palin. There is a large, non-Hillary contingent of women voting in the US (though the press seems to have forgotten about them!) and this VP pick could be very significant with that group.
I said in the other thread but I'll say it here as well. I could easily see myself preferring her as the Presidential nominee to McCain. I don't like McCain at all and I have thus far refused to vote for him. The more and more I learn about her though, the more enamored with her I become. It's too bad she's in Alaska where she was never going to gain major political fame, because I'd have liked to seen her sit on the sidelines while McCain blows this election and then have her run potentially in four years. I just don't like spending a potentially good candidate in this race. I'm reasonably convinced that is one of the reasons Jindal was not willing to take the VP slot.
That was one of the things I was thinking when I thought about her and Clinton supporters. I don't think she'll help there, but perhaps with more conservative women who have become disgusted with the last 7+ years of Bush and company. And superficial 30-something guys.
That is so true. Not to get too detailed, but do we want to compare state senator of Illinois, representing the city of Chicago, with a seat on the council of Wasilla, Alaska? God knows it is gorgeous though! Think of what this pick will do for their tourism!
Man I wish I lived in that town. Lovely. Anyway, there is no doubt she is making an enormous leap from where she was. But she's leaping to VP, where she will get valuable experience working in Washington (if McCain were to win.) She's not being asked to run the country.
I don't know her so she could surprise me but my first impression is of a lightweight that will be crushed. I hope she understands she will have no time for anything other than her RNC talking points homework. In the end I don't think she will have any more effect on the election than Geraldine Ferraro, which as I recall was none. Good luck Ms. Palin.
So these women are going to fall in line and vote for McCain in the hopes that he dies and they'll get their woman president?? that twisted
This is EXACTLY the demographic I think she appeals to. Older / middle-age women. Hillary got them excited about the idea of a woman in the White House during their lifetime. Who knows when that opportunity will come around again - and now, here it is, staring them in the face. Younger women who didn't fight all the women's equality battles won't be impacted as much - but the ones who fought for this for a long time are now a vote away from "breaking that glass ceiling". I think that will be a very appealing notion. To be clear, I'm not suggesting a 10% move of women. But if you get 2% of women to switch with the pick, that's a bigger impact than Romney, Pawlenty, or anyone else would has. Absolutely brilliant pick on McCain's part, and arguably the best pick he could have made from a purely electoral perspective (ignoring governing and the like).
If Obama is smart, he'll let Hillary lay the smack down on her from here on out instead of himself, Biden (except in debates) or other men.
