Palin Poised to Court Conservatives (and Women)

McCain's choice of Governor Palin was a great strategy on two fronts. Disenchanted female Hillary supporters now have a woman on the national ticket who has a record of standing up for herself as a woman, such as responding to criticism in Alaska over her pregnancy while in office. On the other hand, Palin is a member of the NRA and hails from the state where the .357 Magnum is considered a wimp load; her selection now energizes the right wing of the GOP already incensed at solidly anti-gun Joe Biden's placement on the Democratic ticket. In my opinion Palin was the perfect choice to both play to Hillary's voters and to the conservatives who've been waiting for a reason to vote for McCain. Even outspoken liberal media outlets have admitted that Palin is a "totally regular person", so she will likewise draw independent votes as well. The Vice-Presidential candidacy is all about attracting votes and not about experience; thus McCain and his advisers chose prudently. Palin can herself use the candidacy to bolster her own career, putting herself in an excellent position to contend for the nomination and control of the Republican Party in 2012 whether she is living in the U.S. Naval Observatory at that time or not.