McCain is running tight with Obama in the polls. He's taken a chance on a lady who is largely unknown outside of Alaska, and eliminated experience as a talking point in the process. Why take such a risk?

to the conservative base & give them someone they could get excited about since he really wasn't stoking their fires all too well.

Plus having a woman on the ticket is just the gimmick he needed to give his campaign a boost going into the convention.

It'll be interesting to see how the selection plays out in the long term.

It's not a risk. It's a strategic tactic. He had to bring back the conservative base somehow.....

and he just did.

I've been harping on Obama's lack of experience for months now...and it continues to fall on deaf ears.

So, the experience factor wasn't really a help to McCain.  Remember, some of you were actually saying that 'inexperience is an asset."

Thus, besides experience, which McCain has in spades, what did he need? Youth, vigor, conservative credibility, and minority representation.

He got it all with Palin.

Obama was largely unknown outside of Ill. prior to his run for the presidency, so your point is off the mark. Once people see and read up on Mrs Palin they will wonder why Obama choose a drooler like Biden with a bad hair transplant and the habit of putting his listeners to sleep faster than Fat Albert Bore.

jg

I don't quite get the logic of it. If you look at her stance on many issues I can't imagine her appealing to disgruntled Hillary voters. As a liberal woman, I don't ever vote for a pro-life candidate period.

Also, it is not like carrying the state of Alaska is a big prize and she is involved in a rather ugly scandle in her home state.

McCain is 72 and had bouts with cancer so the second in command here is of some importance.