Sarah Palin.

If the reports suggesting Sarah Palin is McCain’s VP pick are true, I don’t ever want to hear about Barack Obama’s “inexperience” again.

The rising Republican star was elected governor of Alaska in 2006. She is thirty years younger than McCain, and still supports the party’s bread-and-butter social issues (anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage).

Mmm, panderlicious.

Update from NBC:

Palin’s selection was a stunning surprise, as McCain passed over many other better-known prospects, some of whom had been the subject of intense speculation for weeks or months.

She is a generation younger than Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, who is Barack Obama’s running mate on the Democratic ticket.

She is three years Obama’s junior, as well, and McCain has made much in recent weeks of Obama’s relative lack of experience in foreign policy and defense matters.

Update: Marc Ambinder lists some pros and cons.

Pro:

A huge-attention-getting pick.

Talk about McCain the fighter pilot… McCain, whose hero is Teddy Roosevelt

The cable press is talking about the VP choice, not Obama’s piece.

She’s charismatic.

The potential appeal for women. (Although, in 1984 Reagan won 54% of the vote in Ferraro on the ticket. Identity voting has no history on the presidential race.)

She has some reformist creds, taking on her own party…

She’s blunt and outspoken.

Joe Biden might want to modulate his tone against a woman.

Her husband works with his hands and races in snow.

Rush Limbaugh likes her.

She’s not from Washington.

Con:

After spending six months trying to discredit Barack Obama’s readiness to be commander in chief, McCain has chosen someone with even less experience. (She was a mayor of Wasila Alaska, which is smaller than Obama’s state senate district.)

Palin has not been exposed to the rigors of national politics

Palin does not know McCain well.

She will be forced to bone up on everything and forced to debate Joe Biden.

The accusations that McCain chose her because she’s a woman.

An ongoing ethics investigation (although she was punishing someone accused of domestic violence.)

Disagreements with McCain on some issues, including gay rights. (She opposes same-sex marriage too, though.)

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  • I just watched Palin and McCain take the stage on Fox News complete with the headline “Obama campaign disses Palin for small town origins”
    “Disses” though?
    Yeesh.
    That’s what I get for channel surfing.

    Is there any way to take this selection other than utter pandering for the female vote though?

  • Grump

    No, it apparently seems as though he IS pandering to get the female vote(i.e. those HRC supporters who still won’t vote for Obama).

  • scott

    You may not like her but it is true to say she has more experience then Obama. Obama has been a state legislator and a senator but she has executive branch experience as mayor and governor. And from what info that I’ve seen she has been in elected office longer as well.