McCain picks Palin for Vice President

NY Times:

Senator John McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate on Friday, shaking up the political world with a surprise pick at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In choosing Ms. Palin — a 44-year-old conservative Christian and self-described “hockey mom” who has been governor for less than two years — the McCain campaign reached far outside the Beltway in an election where the Democratic nominee, Senator Barack Obama, is running on a platform of change.

The pick, confirmed by Republicans familiar with the decision, amounted to a roll of the dice, a gamble that an infusion of new leadership — and the novelty of the Republican party’s first female candidate for vice president — would more than compensate for the risk that Ms. Palin could undercut one of the McCain campaign’s central arguments, their claim that Mr. Obama is too inexperienced to be president.

But Ms. Palin ran as a change agent when she was elected as governor of Alaska in 2006, and in a move that might have appealed to Mr. McCain, she took political heat from members of her own party for turning the spotlight on the failures of Alaska Republicans, some of whom had been beset by corruption scandals.

She opposes abortion rights, which could help pacify social conservatives who were wary as rumors swirled that Mr. McCain might pick a running mate who supports them. But she differs with Mr. McCain on a controversial environment issue that centers on her home state: she supports drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve. Mr. McCain’s opposition to drilling — even after he changed positions and began advocating for off-shore oil drilling — has upset many Republicans.

...

OK. I am surprised. I thought she was an attractive candidate, but she has been out of the buzz for over a month. I think it really shows how determined McCain is to go after the Hillary vote that is still angry with Obama and his campaign. I have no idea how effective she will be on the campaign trail or dealing with Biden in a debate. I am not sure what state she will bring into McCain's column. Romney would have solidified Florida and given McCain a chance in Michigan.

Perhaps Palin can do that too, but she is yet to prove she is a dynamic figure on the national scene. I like her. I hope McCain listens to her on ANWR.

CNN has more on Palin.

...

She catapulted to the post with a strong reputation as a political outsider, forged during her stint in local politics. She was mayor and a council member of the small town of Wasilla and was chairman of the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates Alaska's oil and gas resources, in 2003 and 2004.

The conservative Palin defeated two so-called political insiders to win the governor's job -- incumbent Gov. Frank Murkowski in the GOP primary and former two-term Democratic Gov. Tony Knowles in the 2006 general election. iReport.com: What do you think of McCain's VP pick?

...

Palin has focused on energy and natural resources policy during her short stint in office, and she is known for her support of drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, a position opposed by McCain but supported by many grass-roots Republicans.

Her biography on the state governor's Web site says one of the two major pieces of legislation passed during her first legislative session was a competitive process to construct a gas pipeline.

Palin started Alaska's Petroleum Systems Integrity Office, an oversight and maintenance agency for the state's oil and gas equipment, facilities and infrastructure. She created the Climate Change Subcabinet that would forge a climate change strategy, according to the biography.

Palin chairs the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, a multistate panel "that promotes the conservation and efficient recovery of domestic oil and natural gas resources while protecting health, safety and the environment," the biography says.

...

She clearly has a better handle on the energy issues than anyone on the Democrat ticket. Energy is probably the number one issue in this election and the Democrats have been on the wrong side of the issue and she should be able to exploit that. And, she should attract Hillary voters.

The Obama campaign has reacted in a very petty way by ignoring her more recent accomplishments and characterizing her as a mayor of a small town in Alaska with no experience. This is a big mistake and it is reminiscent of how they have been alienating women voters this year. It also overlooks the fact that she has had more executive experience than anyone on the Democrat ticket.

The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza comments here.

Palin is a very popular choice at the Hillary Clinton Forum.