McCain has selected Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.  This is pretty exciting.  Three years ago she was mayor of a town of under 10,000 people.  She was appointed to a position by previous Governor Frank Murkowski (who when elected as governor appointed his daughter to his Senate seat.)  But she resigned siting ethics issues in the state administration.  Not long after the FBI is raiding state sentator’s offices and has a case against Stevens.  The US House of Representatives is investigating Representative Young right now too.  She ran for governor against an incumbent and won.  She has a proven track record of reducing government – a claim that republicans support but seem to rarely follow through with.

Sarah Palin and the Vikings and Valkyries of Petersburg, Alaska

I think that she will draw a significant number of Clinton’s rabid supporters.  Any that support Hillary because of her gender will be drawn to Palin.  If McCain is elected she would be the first female Vice President.  Vice Presidents that later run for President almost always end up with the party nomination (*cough* Quayle *cough*) so it isn’t impossible to imagine Palin as President in 2017.  She would still be more than 20 years younger than McCain is right now.  In fact, McCain is old enough that it is possible that Palin might end up President without having to even run. For the women voting for women she’s a win.

Realistically, most voters are not thinking about the vice presidental canidates as future presidents.  They might just look at her and vote because there would be a pretty face in Washington.  Palin was in Vogue magazine.  I heard someone that attended a union meeting that Palin spoke at during her run for governor that he overheard a number of peers that said “she’s hot, i’m voting for her.”  So for the men voting with out too much thought she’s a win.

She’s also really a pretty good governor.  I posted before that i thought Palin is a good Republican.  She falls in party lines for the most part but also seems willling to follow the law as decided by the other two branches of government.  Her position on gay rights is an excellent example.  She reduced taxes in Wasilla.  Read her lips!  She sold the jet that Murkowski bought despite legislative efforts to stop the purchase and just flies on Alaska Airlines like the rest of us.  So for those voting purely on ability and ethics and not party affiliation she’s a win.

McCain just sealed the deal with Alaska.  We’re no longer a swing state.  Obama may as well move their 5 offices out and put those people where they might have an impact.  Alaska will definitely give the electoral votes to McCain-Palin.

So the lesson is?  Want a good shot at becoming president?  Be a great mayor of a tiny town (and be attractive and female).  My previous post about Sarah Palin ended with “I’m not a member of any political party but she’s one more Conservative that will have my vote next time around.”