I am a proud Arizona woman and I am, quite frankly, insulted by John McCain's pick of Sarah Palin for VP. It's as if the white haired old men in his campaign all got together and said, "What we need to defeat Barack Obama is someone, anyone with ovaries and a uterus. Bring us ovaries and a uterus and all the women who were for Hillary Clinton will notice that we chose overies and a uterus and they will immediately flock to our side. So what if she knows nothing about foreign policy during one of the most dangerous periods in our history, so what if she has no experience beyond being a mayor and governor for 20 months in the least populated state in the Union? The women of this country are so stupid, and so myopic, they won't care. Just give 'em ovaries and a uterus!"

Sarah Palin seems like a real go-getter, and I salute her achievements. But she is not ready to take over the most important office in the world. Yes, we share common "junk," but that doesn't automatically mean I'll vote for her. Thanks, Johnny Boy, but no thanks.

In his defense, the average American woman IS an idiot. To be fair, though, so is the average American man.

Touche!

"Sarah Palin seems like a real go-getter, and I salute her achievements. But she is not ready to take over the most important office in the world...."

Actually, if you accept the Obama point that judgement trumps experience when you're talking about qualification to be President (and you ought to, it's true), then her lack of experience OUGHT to be no more a hinderance than his lack of it has been. And it's not as if you can't make some pretty damning critiques of her judgment if you want to.

I could be giving the McCain campaign entirely too much credit here, but I wonder if she wasn't picked so much to attract female Hillary voters, as much as the MALE voters that Hillary picked up during the primaries. Specifically the male, blue-collar "clinging to guns and religion" voters, the same ones that Hillary was knocking back beers and whiskey with. Palin has an authentic common touch that can be lacking in McCain, Obama, and Romney. Sure, feminist women who vote strongly on abortion rights aren't going to vote for her, but blue-collar men who were on the fence about McCain - this might just be what will tip them to that side.

Pamela's point is that McCain's campaign against Obama is youth and foreign policy inexperience. He claims that these times are too dangerous to trust a newbie. Yet he picks someone with much, much, less experience (Obama was a community organizer, 2-time state Senator, now almost 4-year U.S. Senator).

At age 72 with a cancer history, McCain's V.P. pick may have to take over his job. So if his criteria is a President should have more experience than Obama, Palin doesn't meet this criteria. Pamela M. is simply following the criteria that McCain believes WE should use, we may disagree with him but that's not the point. Since 1st lady positions are now viewed as foreign experience then Elizabeth Dole or even Laura Bush would have fit in more with his rhetoric.

That actually brings up the attack route that has actually been opened up by this pick for Republicans, which is the "Obama is an ivory tower arrogant elitist" one. That potential tactic seems to be completely ignored around here in the focus on her "lack of experience" and whether it removes the Republican's ability to hit Obama's experience.

An attractive, hunting, fishing Mom who was a state champ athlete? That's going to play well in out-state Minnesota for one (where self-righteous elitist liberal know-it-alls from the Twin Cities piss people off a LOT). Now, whether that will be enough to put a state like Minnesota into play (and it is all about the electoral votes, remember) as opposed to going strongly Democratic is a question, but it may make the choice understandable for McCain.

She only has an"authentic touch" if you live in Alaska.

Hockey mom? Moose burgers? How many mothers of 5 go hunting? Married to a fisherman. That's something a lot of women do in Alaska, but where else? O.K., sorry New England.

Thankfully, there are sensible women like you still around to see this charade for what it is, blatant pandering and an insult to women everywhere. I doubt if independents are going to buy this pick. She will be toast after the first debate.

Well, I'm an independent, and a woman, and there is still no chance I'd vote for McCain. I'm fine with his choosing Palin as a running mate, but their policy positions have not changed (I am just about 100% opposed to McCain's foreign policy ideas). If anything, they're now further from mine--now we've got freakin' creationism thrown into the mix! One of my favorite things about McCain has always been his (usual) refusal to pander to religious fanatics.

If McCain was desperate to woo Hillary's supporters, why didn't he just choose her as a running mate? Now that would have been ballsy. (I know, I know, she wouldn't accept it. But it's fun to imagine if she did!)

I voted for Mondale/Ferraro in 1984 and I'm thrilled to see another defendable woman on the presidential ticket of one of the two major parties. After the press and a brilliant campaign by Senator Obama beat Hillary, I didn't think I'd see another woman on the ticket in my lifetime.

I felt a volt of pure joy this morning. I suspect it's how African-Americans felt with the nomination of Senator Obama. I'm glad for them and I'm glad for women since our voices too will be at the podium this fall. While I don't know who I'll vote for in November, today I'm voting for Sarah. You go girl.

lilycat:

Sure, feminist women who vote strongly on abortion rights aren't going to vote for her, but blue-collar men who were on the fence about McCain - this might just be what will tip them to that side.

She does have a nice rack...

Vote for the best. Its your country. If you vote for the one you like, you may be disappointed. My teenage daughters are learning this every time another Hot guy comes into their lives. Good luck.