McCain's recent campaign hasn't been known for being daring. He's gone from "straight talk" to lockdown. Limiting press interactions, trying to do gaffe control, taking the conservative safe choice....

Picking Palin is a risky move. She's not that experienced, not well known, and who knows how a woman VP will play in the conservative circles. To a candidate that's been playing it safe, it is a surprising choice.

But it was a good choice. If he didn't find a way to add excitement into this race, he would have always have been seen as the "old time" (politics, not age) boring candidate. This at least refreshes some things for his campaign.