The shocking pick of Sarah Palin yesterday has sent the political world spinning wildly. The right is energized and the left is caught shorthanded flailing for anything that will stick.

In fact, McCain's pick of Governer Palin has lathered the Presidential game of Twister with a nice coat of vaseline. Obama and Biden best be wary how they contort themselves here. In the words of comedian Brian Regan: "Right foot red... BROKEN! Left foot green... BROKEN."

Let's review the minefield that Team Obama/Biden must navigate with Palin on board.

• Palin has more executive experience than Obama himself (having run a company, a PTO, a town and then Alaska).
  
  • WARNING: Bring up the experience issue at your own peril.
    
  • SAMPLE: "When Senator Obama started his first run for local office I was already a two-term mayor. If you simply count the years of experience, I win, frankly."
    
    
• Palin has more direct military experience than Obama and Biden combined having served as Commander of the Alaskan National Guard:
  
  • WARNING: Don't fuss with military issues. Be cautious around foreign affairs.
    
  • SAMPLE: "Alaska has a shared border with Canada and shared Islands with Russia. Illinois and Deleware...mmm... not so much. I've actually commanded hundreds of military volunteers in person not just from a DC hearing room."
    
    
• Palin is pro-life in ways that other just aren't. Namely, the pro-life decision she made was real.
  
  • WARNING: Don't even bring up the word "abortion" around her
    
  • SAMPLE: "Since everybody's worried about my experience I'd like to know how Senator Biden might react if he were in my shoes. Abortion isn't just some idealogical issue for me... I've had the face the very real decision. So I ask you, Senator Biden, what would you do if your family faced a similar choice?"
    
    
• Palin solidifies the so-con vote by demonstrating unquestionable social conservative values (it doesn't hurt that she has 5 kids)
  
  • WARNING: Don't come even close to using motherhood as a leverage against her qualificaitons
    
  • SAMPLE: "I believe I've given birth to 5-times as many children as Sentaors Obama and Biden combined."
    
    
• Palin taps into the Hillary vote giving a voice to mothers and women across the country when Obama wouldn't even vet her.
  
  • WARNING: Don't imply that the Palin pick was just a play to women or even remotely hint at chauvinistic overtones
    
  • SAMPLE: "Are you saying that women shouldn't be excited about this opportunity? Are you saying that there isn't a glass ceiling.
    
    
• Palin was a former sportscaster and journalist
  
  • WARNING TO THE PRESS: She's one of your own.
    
  • SAMPLE: "Hey George, like you, I've had a foot in politics and a foot in journalism. My timing was just opposite of yours. I realized that journalism is great and all but real change comes through sacrifice and service."
    
    
• Palin was a beauty pageant contestant so she could pay for school with the scholarship
  
  • WARNING TO NOW: Don't diss her pagaent story until you actually hear it
    
  • SAMPLE: "I entered the beauty pagaent because sports scholarships for women in the 1980s were almost unheard of. So sue me."
    
    
• Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA and use to hunt elk
  
  • WARNING: Biden, avoid your terrible history on the 2nd right amendment .
    
  • SAMPLE: "Like Senator Obama, I agree with and I'm proud of the recent Supreme Court decision. I've been a hunter all my life. In fact when my parents found out about Senator McCain's decision they were on a caribou hunting trip. I think my dad is like many people in this country as he follows this heated debate: he said: 'I'd rather go moose hunting than be involved with politics.' Sometimes, so would I."
    
    
• Palin fought corruption in an AK GOP party that was (and still is) full of it
  
  • WARNING: Careful around the "ethical" issues
    
  • SAMPLE: "Like Chicago politics, Alaska politics can sometimes get dirty. In my case I fought my own party tooth and nail for substantive change. I'll let voters decide what Barack Obama did in Chicago."
    
    
• She's a true outsider who's likable, young, articulate, devout, down to earth.
  
  • WARNING: Don't much about trying to stick the DC inexperience on her.
    
  • SAMPLE: "You know, some reporters were shocked and amazed that I have never appeared on any Sunday political talk shows. I think many Americans would accord that as a medal of honor."
    
    

All of these items show serious head pounding variables that the Democrats and the liberal media must take into account. But were' not done. Consider also:

• Palin is a former union member, her spouse is still union member
  
• She knows the energy and oil issues like the back of her hand (or her husband's hand who actually worked on an oil rig)
• Palin has actually BEEN to the Alaska Wildlife Reserves
  
• Palin is a conservative environmentalist and outdoorsman who understands the issues well
  
• Palin owns one home
  
• Palin has left the MSM stammering to find information about her
  
• Palin has left the Obama campaign stammering to find information about her
  
• Palin can tell you what the price of milk is
  
• Palin cut costs across the board in Alaska
  
• Palin got rid of the "bridge to nowhere"
  
• Palin has put Biden back in a box
  
• The expectations game plays in her favor
  

Yes, she has a lot to prove on the national stage but she brings A LOT to the table that conservatives can get excited about.

Your thoughts?

Labels: sarah palin

The notion being advanced by Obama's camp that Palin is less experienced than Obama is simply laughable and reeks of chauvinism. Time and time again, democrats have claimed to value women and now have the audacity to claim that she has less experience than him? She was raising kids when he was still trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Don't democrats value that experience? Not to mention her political experience. She was a mayor, how's that for "community organizing." Finally, serving as governor of a state is 100 times more important than serving as a Senator. Between her and him, I would pick her to run my business or my country any day. The problem Obama has with Palin is that she "gets it." She understands what life is about, has strong values, and will ultimately smash a ceiling that Obama denied Hillary Clinton the chance to. Palin is a fantastic selection and if that is the best he can do to try and dirty her up, bring it on Obama.

...well, not really. But I wanted to know if my blip about Sarah Palin counts as a prediction.

And beauty pageant contestant:



I like this gal already!

FoxNews reports Palin is indeed the pick. We'll have more later. For right now... its been quite the ride we love you guys as readers.

If its true its a great pick! Keeping it tight to the chest was brilliant. We'll have more.

Palin would be a great move by McCain even though I would love Romney to get the nod.

Stay tuned...

Drudge speculates:

Multiple reports are now saying Pawlenty is out!

Governor Palin of Alaska may have been on a flight to Ohio last night.

Reports say that Romney will be there in Ohio!

We're going to reserve comments about the veep pick until tomorrow. I need to sleep off the bitter speech I just witnessed.

Sleep well and dream of the biggest head fake in history.

A new online conservative magazine, Culture11, is reporting that Romney is NOT the guy. I'm hearing similar things but we will see. I don't think they'll report it tonight.

Note: I'll be doing a lot of writing for Culture11 in the near future stay tuned. Here's a taste.

So says Bloomberg.

Also, here's an interesting post by a PA blogger noting that Romney will be in PA with McCain and Ridge. Pawlenty indcated today however that he will be at the MN state fair? Is our source in the PA GOP correct?

ALSO: CBS reports that GOP delegates want Romney as Veep!

Could Cindy McCain be the determining factor in the VP pick for her husband John McCain?

Through two sources we can report the following:

• Cindy McCain is apparently smitten with Ann Romney. They've hit off a strong friendship over the past few months.
  
• Cindy has expressed this fondness to John
  
• John McCain has indicated that he will include Cindy in the final decision of his VP pick
  
• As early as this morning McCain denied that he had picked anyone
• Cindy was on her way back from Georgia to be with John today

Labels: ann romney, cindy mccain, veep

Drudge is reporting that the name might be leaking tonight... so we've moved the countdown clock to "1".

Here's what I've heard today. I've heard that Pawlenty is the man and that Mitt is out. I've heard that Mitt is the man and that Pawenty is out.

Roll Call reports that Romney's sister's house in Michigan is being swept by Secret Service.

S.E. Cupp has a great piece on why Romney is the man.

This Fox News blogger like's Romney's chances.

My opinion: I put the odds at 50%. Romney makes a lot of sense on paper but McCain is just an unknown quantity.

Labels: veep

NRO is all over the VP speculation:

Byron York says that he's hearing McCain has made the decision and told his staff.

York then says that while Lieberman would be the choice if McCain would win no matter what, that's not the situation McCain faces.

Yuval Levin then discusses Romneyphobia, stating "Judging by the Obama camp’s assorted efforts to prepare the ground for McCain’s VP choice on Friday, they seem to be terrified of Mitt Romney."

Larry Kudlow says that he's hearing Tim Pawlenty and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Ramesh Ponnuru notes that KBH is moderately pro-choice.

Finally, David Frum inexplicably attacks Romney as a VP choice, citing old lines of attack.

Labels: nro

We will see. Again, its a 50/50 split but the KBH/Liberman route is just too weird. Meg Whitman is promising but totally unvetted.

I believe this is from yesterday, but it's always refreshing to hear Mitt.

Originally posted (along with many other newly found YouTubes) at NY for Mitt.

Here are some direct quotes from people who were close to the Romney campaign:

"Its possible. Its very, very possible"

"I put his chances at 55%... that's up from 35% two months ago"

"The situation is very tight. I haven't heard anything new this week"

Then there's this exchange on MSNBC:

Labels: mitt romney, msnbc

Labels: mitt romney

I guess the VP pick wasn't audacious enough.