Friday, August 29, 2008

McCain-Palin: Surprise!

It's funny - this morning Peter and I were talking about the V.P. candidates, and I told him that McCain had to choose a woman. When I heard that Romney and Pawlenty were out of the running, I was pretty sure he was going to do it too. It's a smart strategic choice to choose a woman; instantly his ticket becomes a historic one if they win, which puts the Republican ticket more on par with the Democratic ticket.

I just watched Sarah Palin speak at the announcement of her being "the chosen one," and I like her. (I'd never even heard of her before today.) She's the first-term Governor of Alaska, and before that she was a mayor. She's the mother of five children, including a baby boy just born in April. I like the way she talks and looks--she seems very familiar to me and probably to many other women in the country. She seems smart, confident, and charismatic. One of her nicknames is "Sarah Barracuda" because of her tenacity and fearlessness.

I think she's going to get pounded for lack of experience, particularly with foreign policy, but McCain balances that. In the end, I think choosing a woman as his running mate is going to help McCain's chances of winning. Condi Rice, who has been my choice for awhile, would be better in many ways, but I'm sure her ties to the unpopular Bush administration were too much of a liability.

A few other quick things:
  • I noticed that McCain looked a little uncomfortable as Palin spoke today. If he was, I wonder why, and I wonder how he really feels about her as his choice?
  • I hope that if McCain wins the election, he'll appoint Mitt Romney to his Cabinet or to another important federal position that will utilize Romney's vast skills. Then he'll have a better chance to run again in the years to come. I still think he would be the best president for this country out of just about anyone.
  • I thought Obama did a very good job delivering his nomination acceptance speech last night. He's one of the best speakers I've ever seen (as long as he has a teleprompter, that is). It was all a bit of a spectacle with the football stadium and fireworks, but then I thought, "He's the first black candidate for President. This is a proud moment for all Americans, independent of where they stand politically. Bring on the fireworks!"
  • I still think Obama will win in November, but that it's going to be a closer race than I originally thought. There are things I like and hate about each candidate, so I'm still undecided. I'll be following the race closely for the next two months so that I can make an informed choice, if I end up voting for either of them. I'm more likely to vote for McCain at this point, but that is subject to change.