Why Did John McCain Pick Sarah Palin?
John McCain wasted no time after the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver to announce the name of his VP: Sarah Palin. Second woman on a presidential ticket (other than Geraldine Ferraro,Democratic VP in 1984), this mother of five children mark a turning point in the strategy of the Republican camp.
The world was expecting Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, even Mitt Romney and to a lesser extent Joe Lieberman,to be the choice of the Republican candidate as vice president. But instead John McCain took a risky gamble,which makes us ponder on ,why Sarah Palin?
A bold gamble
According to some pundits McCain, told himself that an unexpected ticket would boost and re energized his campaign.But then again McCain took chances with the immigration bill and the surge in Iraq.But he is betting a lot more by picking Sarah Palin because she is inexperienced, and although she is appealing to the conservative electorate,she will also make independents and moderates run the other way.
The least experience on both tickets
Sarah Palin is a complete stranger to the American public ,with zero foreign police experience.Governor of Alaska for 20 months, she was previously mayor of a small town of 7,000 people.Alaska, despite its size, is one of the least populated states of the US twenty times less populated than Illinois.
So why this choice?
No doubt because McCain has decided to no longer focus his campaign on blasting Obama about experience because that argument failed for Hillary Clinton.Instead has decided to take the opposite path by bringing in,a young,new and fresh face.
The Palin-Biden: debate an unexpected line up.
One of the highlights of the upcoming weeks will be the debate between two candidates for the vice-presidency, that will take place on October 2. Joe Biden is extremely experienced while Palin is not.It will be interesting to watch is how they go at it on policies differences. Just like George W. Bush, because Sarah is being couched by his adviser expect her style to be more of a “trust me,you can have a beer with ” thing.
But Sarah Palin will be linked to the Republican Party’s disastrous way of governing.
The support of conservatives, but at what price?
While Sarah Palin is a real conservative, and could allow McCain to win an electorate which has thus far dislike him,was it a good choice? Sarah Palin is a big risk because she pleases her base at the same time she will alienate the independents who have thus far supported McCain for his straight talk.
By presenting a ticket that pleases only the Republican Party, the senator from Arizona has just inherited the eight awful years of Republicans in office. Can you imagine the Hillary Clinton PUMA turning to Sarah Palin just because she is woman?
So McCain has a thin rope to walk on ,because on one hand he has to expose Sarah Palin to catch = Conservatives, and hide her in order not to scare away the independents.
He has one heck of a challenge in front of him.
