McCain isn't called a maverick for nothing, and he's not averse to taking chances. Gov. Sarah Palin is a daring, but risky choice. Her name recognition must be in the single digits, and an Alaska politician doesn't bring a lot of electoral votes to the table.
But everything I've read suggests Palin is bright, articulate, hard as nails — and a genuine fiscal conservative who's done a lot to clean up Alaska's politics. Since she became governor in 2006, her approval ratings have been mostly in the 90s and have never dropped below 80% — astonishing numbers. That means most of the people who voted against her think she's doing a great job.
The Club for Growth PAC really likes her:
“At a time when many Republicans are still clinging to pork-barrel politics, Governor Palin has quickly become a leader on this issue,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “She is a principled reformer who understands how badly wasteful spending has marred the Republican brand.”
Governor Palin has proven herself to be a reformer unafraid to take on the establishment, which she did early on when she took on the incumbent Republican governor of Alaska in 2006. Only nine months in office, Governor Palin instructed the state to abandon the notorious pork project secured by Alaska’s politicians, the $223 million “Bridge to Nowhere.” While many Republicans in Congress are afraid to antagonize Washington’s biggest porkers, Sarah Palin stood strong for fiscal responsibility. Palin is also a persistent advocate of drilling in ANWR and expanding America’s domestic oil supply in general.
Sounds like a fine choice for veep. I'm with Zombyboy, who said "it’s a choice that I like almost regardless of outcome." Me too. If Obama wins and replicates the disastrous Carter presidency, I can see the Palin 2012 stickers already.
UPDATE: For that matter, given McCain's age, Palin 2012 is a strong possibility regardless of what happens this November.
(Oh, yeah — don't miss the picture at Babalu Blog that Zombyboy linked to!)
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