The pick of Gov. Sarah Palin for the Vice Presidency is as good as they come. Not only is Palin immensely qualified, she resonates well with the public. On a more superficial level, but important for vote getting, it makes the McCain, now the McCain-Palin ticket, a historic one.
Another aspect of this fine choice is the strategy with which it was laid out. Gov. Palin was mentioned as a serious contender all along (though noted blogger Raymond Smalley was quick to point out to me that another blogger who started the draft Sarah Palin for VP movement months ago was crucial in getting this selection advanced), yet with the help of the campaign's well oiled media machine, the previously hushed pick seemed to be surprising.
The Palin selection may also have long term reverberations for the GOP's expansion efforts. Palin is a mother of five, with a very special baby who has Down syndrome. Her husband Todd is known for his athletic accomplishments and working class routes.
Gov. Palin enjoys a popularity rating of over 80%. She’s as qualified as many of our recent presidents and has shown good judgment and a thorough understanding of national issues. She also comes across as a fundamentally decent person. Palin is no less experienced than the business leaders touted and, unlike those candidates, has experience dealing with issues that affect every day people. As governor, she is in charge of setting economic policy for her state and in this area she has done a fine job.
Another interesting point: The way that Team McCain went about announcing the selection was superb. The timing was perfect and should serve as a lesson to campaigners on how to orchestrate an announcement. Unlike the Obama camp, Team McCain made sure that no leak was made and the announcement erased the coverage of Obama's misleading acceptance speech. Announcing the surprising and exciting pick the morning after his opponent's main speech was a fantastic move, to say the least.
With his funny TV ads, lively personality and great campaign skills, the GOP's selection of McCain as nominee has proven to be a good one. Of course, we knew this from his heroic personal record, his committed conservatism on social issues and his 20 plus year commitment to reigning in spending, something that is needed and that he fought his own party on to advance.
Apparently the media are going crazy trying to spin this, in some ways quite shamefully. They should jump on board for once for the sake of the country. It would earn them some respectability. If they fail to do so they may all but ensure their irrelevancy.
We all knew that the mainstream media would praise any Obama pick, even if he were to choose the worst possible pick in Washington. Likewise, we knew that McCain’s pick would be met with criticism and dishonest spin, even if he picked the best running mate possible. But no one expected this scenario to play out exactly. It did and the media should grow up for once. It is they whose reputation is most hurt with every stunt they pull and as more and more people realize how disingenuous they’ve become.
Yomin Postelnik is a noted conservative writer and political strategist for many conservative federal and state campaigns as well as the author of a Financial Literacy program for at-risk teens.
