After an initial hiccup, I have come around to thinking that Palin is a great choice. Sure, it would be nice if she had some more executive experience, but I have always said you cannot cherry pick people's traits and history. As it is, she puts Obama's experience to shame -- raising five kids by itself does that!
The choice is evidence of McCain's independence and reinforces his role as outsider and maverick. Tell me -- which ticket more convincingly represents the opportunity for change: the candidate from the Senate with the most liberal voting record, and the VP who has spent his whole adult life in the Senate, or the nontraditional McCain and the woman governor from Alaska?
Palin could come from my family. Check out these pictures. Fisherman, hunter, snowmobiler...and as close to a Yooper accent as you can get.
Now on the abortion issue, I am undecided, although what I really hate is the hypocrisy of the "choice" argument. But if the Republicans wanted to show the world what they mean by respect for life, what better choice could they have made than Palin? She shows that you can choose life and still have a life. Who can't respect that position?
The liberals are going to go crazy trying to tear her down. I suspect she will be disowned by the liberal feminists. The pictures of her with dead fish, furs, and rifles are just going to be too much.
McCain is serious about cutting the budget, and Palin could help. The biggest thing I hold against the Republicans, and W. in particular, is that they have let government spending get out of control. McCain/Palin are indeed a return to the small government roots of the Reagan Republican party that I respected.
This is going to be an interesting few months. I can't wait to get my McCain/Palin signs out in my yard.
