The Conservative Base on Palin: "Electrifying"

There were two intended targets of the Palin selection: the conservative base and the Hillary Clinton supporters. According to an article on Politico, at this early stage, one of the goals has been accomplished.

By tapping the anti-abortion and pro-gun Alaska governor just ahead of his convention, which is set to start here Monday, McCain hasn’t just won approval from a skeptical Republican base — he’s ignited a wave of elation and emotion that has led some grass-roots activists to weep with joy.

In the end, it may have been the ticket to cause Democrats to weep for other reasons.

(via Politico)

Sarah Palin on Sarah Palin

When it comes to issues, there is very little posted about where Sarah Palin stands. This will change in the coming days, weeks, and months until the election, but in the meantime, Salon.com has come up with a compilation of her views as she sees them. It has quotes about her position on:

• abortion
• her son, who has Down syndrome
• marijuana [then legal in Alaska]
• creationism and evolution
• education
• the energy crunch
• polar bears
• gun rights
• Iraq
• global warming
• her favorite meal
• God and destiny
• government and economics
• politics as usual
• being VP
• her husband

(via Salon)

An Excellent Sarah Palin Resource

The folks over at DCRepublican.com have come up with a nice compilation of facts and articles about Sarah Palin. It discusses her background, her political experience, where she stands on issues, memberships in various organizations, and her philosophy on governing. It also lists several blogs covering Palin.

This particular Sarah Palin VP blog is not on the list, but I'm sure that's just an oversight. :)

(via DCRepublican)

Wikipedia Blocks Who Can Edit Palin Page After Major Makeover

Just prior to the announcement that Sarah Palin would be the Vice Presidential nominee for John McCain, her page on Wikipedia received a lot of attention. Now, there is a block on who can and cannot edit the page. While this isn't uncommon, it still makes one wonder what was on there that shouldn't have been there.

(via NPR)

Sarah Palin on Global Warming

Palin is reportedly skeptical about evidence that global warming is a man-made phenomenon. In an interview with Newsmax, she demonstrated the very political opinion that "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made."

Dan Weiss and James Kvaal note that Palin is a "champion for Big Oil." They write, "She supports more drilling in protected areas of the Outer Continental Shelf and the Alaska Natural Wildlife Refuge, once attacking McCain for his 'close-mindedness on ANWR.'"

(via ThinkProgress)

The REAL Reason McCain picked Sarah Palin

Several analysts have speculated as to why John McCain plucked Sarah Palin, an obscure governor from the "forgotten" state of Alaska as his selection for Vice President. While there are many reasons that make her an appealing choice for him, the primary reason has only been touched on, but will become more apparent in the coming weeks.

There are the obvious reasons:

1. Bridging the gender gap
2. Appealing to the far-right conservative base
3. Her appearance (a minor point, one that shouldn't be an issue, but in today's visual-candy world, it is)
4. The contrast: an old man with a young woman
5. Strong family story lines: 1 son in the military, another born with Down Syndrome
6. NRA, Pro-life, Fight the Establishment
7. Stealing the Obama-acceptance-speech thunder

As will be revealed in the coming weeks, the primary reason that she is such an appealing pick for him is that her presence alone will lower gas prices. It's that simple. The speculative dynamic that controls oil futures more than even "supply and demand" will cause a sharp decrease in oil prices over the next week. It will level out, but as the election approaches, if McCain is still a viable candidate and one who has a good chance of winning, her presence will cause another sharp decline as election day approaches.

He is a financial novice who has had poor luck when it comes to addressing the issue of the economy. With advisers making fools of themselves to the media mixed with his own proclamations of economic ignorance, gas prices are the quickest way to elevate his standing in the eyes of the voters. If their ticket is the one that is viewed as the answer to the gas crunch, they have the one piece to the puzzle that cannot be disputed when it comes to the economy.

This will be apparent once the VP debates start happening. Her policies in Alaska have demonstrated a push for us to "drill our way" out of dependency on foreign oil. While she has stated that she feels alternative energy sources are still 10 years away from become reasonable options, they will spin this as a practical assessment -- in other words, it's not that she doesn't believe in alternative energy sources, but that she will work towards addressing the problem now with drilling and solving the problem in the future with science.

On the surface, this seems like a minor point. When it all shakes out, it will become apparent that her presence is a strategic one, not just because of the obvious, but because to lower gas prices, she is the ideal running mate.

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Read more about Sarah Palin as VP on this blog.

10 Sarah Palin Facts

1. Sarah Louise Palin (nee Heath) was born Feb., 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Her family moved to Alaska when Sarah was an infant. Her father, Chuck, is a retired schoolteacher.

2. She attended Wasilla High School where she played point guard on the state champion basketball team. Her nickname was "Sarah Barracuda."

3. Palin graduated in 1987 from the University of Idaho with a degree in journalism. She worked briefly as a sports reporter in Anchorage.

4. She refers to her husband, Todd, as the "First Dude." He's worked as a commercial fisherman and as a production operator on the North Slope for BP. He enjoys snowmobiling and has won the Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the world's longest snowmobile race, four times.

5. Palin and her husband have five children, Bristol, Piper, Track, Willow, and Trig. Trig, born in 2008, has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her son Track joined the army in 2007.

6. Her favorite meal is moose stew.

7. She comes from a family of outdoor enthusiasts. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, enjoy hunting and fishing, and have both completed marathons.

8. Palin was named Miss Wasilla in 1984 and was a runner-up for Miss Alaska. In 1996 she was elected mayor of Wasilla.

9. She's a lifetime NRA member and enjoys hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling.

10. Elected in 2006, she's Alaska's first female governor and the youngest governor elected in the state.

(via USNews)

* * *

Visit the Sarah Palin VP Blog homepage or check out this story about Palin and Social Media.

Ben Smith from Politico Discusses Sarah Palin

In this interview, Politico's Ben Smith talks about the choice, why Mitt Romney was not selected, and how she will have an effect on the campaign going forward.

(via YouTube)

Palin Pick Appeals to Conservatives

One of the things that has been in question ever since John McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidency is whether or not he would be able to rally support amongst the strongly conservative activists that make up the far right of his party.

The selection of Sarah Palin may turn out to be the rallying call that many staunch Republicans have been hoping for. While it is a surprise, a deeper look into her actions and policies reveal that she is conservative in the traditional sense and offers a glimmer of hope to those who fear that McCain may be too moderate to appeal to their desires.

(via Wall Street Journal)

Surprise and Praise - How the BBC views the Palin pick

Allies and rivals have reacted to the choice of Sarah Palin as Republican vice-presidential nominee, calling her a "new voice" in the election campaign.President George W Bush said Mrs Palin was a "wonderful example", while Democratic nominee Barack Obama said she would add interest to the campaign.

(via BBC)