What's your reaction to Sen. John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin for his running mate?

 Sen. John McCain has selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate later today in Ohio [ read Associated Press story ]. What's your reaction to Sen. McCain's choice?

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 She is clearly a token. It is a ploy to try to get the disgruntled Hillary voters, but they are smarter than that. He is also contradicting his attacks on Obama's inexperience by getting someone who is relatively inexperienced. Also how does alaska compare to the REAL U.S. states they more than likely dont have issues that we deal with.

At first glance she seems like a good choice. He might get my vote now whereas before this I was undecided if I was even going to vote at all since there was no way I'd vote for Obama, and I wasn't too sure of McCain.

 He could not have picked better.  I have wanted her to be the nominee for six months.  She's no darkhorse, as the AP says, this has been my choice since February.  I could not be more excited.  Check mate!  Game Over!  We have stared down the threat of liberalism.  President McCain and Vice President Palin.  Let's just go to Inauguration Day. 

I am now only concerned that Joe Biden becomes ill and drops out to be replaced by Hillary.  It is really the only thing the Democrats can do. 

 Hmmm.

Mayor, Governor, mother of five vs. street organizer?

Someone who has experience running a city or state vs. a street organizer?

Yea! Obama is the man! Change baby change!

(I'm Hobbes, and I approved this message.)

Has that old man no shame!!! This is pandering to get the woman vote. If anyone goes for that trick and votes to McCain based on his choice of running mate, then we deserve four more years of the same nonsense and worse...

 I totally agree with the token idea.  Also, Palin is in the middle of investigations herself.

 C'mon! If you look up pandering in the dictionary, you would see "please refer to politics further down the page".

All political parties/politicians pander to advance their careers.

 Someone better wake you up.  She is under investigation. Talk about inexperience!  Game over for McCain now!

McCain has selected the most unqualified individual ever to be selected to run for Vice President of a major party.  Palin has been Governor of Alaska for a year and a half.  Alaska has less than 683,000 people.  That's half a million less than Allegheny County.  Before that she served two terms on the Wasilla Alaska City Council, and one term as mayor, population 8,000.  That's less than half the population of Baldwin Borough.  She once worked as a television sports reporter in Anchorage.

Palin is under investigation for her role in firing a state trooper who had been married to Palin's sister, so it appears she can't even administer a tiny state government.

McCain's selection is ridiculous.

 I can't believe the misogynst undertones in these posts.  ...the idea that she can't possibly have been selected on merits other than her sex.  As the elected chief executive of a state, she already has more executive experience than any of the other three candidates at the top of the major ballots.  What's up with the token talk?  She also has practical accomplishments of her own to point to...something Obama has had trouble articulating.  She also has a son who ships out to Iraq next week.  A strong point in favor of someone with personal a stake in the war.

Clearly, she's a refreshing choice who is a serious concern to those of you who have already made up your mind for Obama/Biden.  That speaks loudly. 

This selection is outrageous! A first-term governor from Alaska??? I suppose that all-elusive Innuit Indian demographic is more important to McCain than say, oh, New England (Mitt Romney or Joe Lieberman?), or Pennsylvania (Tom Ridge?), or the upper midwest (Palwenty?) or anywhere else in the lower 48?!?  And to think that the McCain campaign has questioned Obama's experience. That whole argument has just been thrown out the window. Unless Palin can immediately convince the country that we can safely drill a kajillion barrells of oil from her home state with her as VP, then this close race has suddenly been blown wide open. I see this as a HUGE mistake by McCain.

 This is a special day for all Americans, and a momentous day for women! For the first time since women were allowed to vote 88 years ago, there is a truly viable candidate for the vice presidency. Sarah Palin might be young and pretty, but she is also tough, dedicated, and family-oriented. She is smart, patriotic and caring. I will vote happily for McCain-Palin in November, and will encourage others to do so, also.

Big mistake on his part, talk about talking about speaking from both sides of his mouth, what kind of experience does she bring and it is my understanding she has a dark cloud over her head already with a firing issue in Alaska..................dumb move on their part Do we really believe she adds to the ticket and for that matter if something happen to McCain.........I think not 

 Penman's objections sound so much like McCain.  Instead of answering criticism, hide behind your biography.  A one-term mayor of Wasilla Alaska, male or female, who spends 18 months in the governor's office, is not qualified to be vice-president.  Period.  Apparently, Palin has just told CNBC that she really doesn't know what a vice-president does from day to day.

Barack Obama was elected in a landslide in a big, industrial state.  He served with distinction in a state senate district that had more than 200,000 people, from America's third largest city.  He was a highly-regarded law professor at one of the most prestigious law schools in America and chosen by his peers to be editor in chief of the most prestigious academic journal in the United States.  He served in the U. S. Senate since 2004, and he won the longest and most grueling presidential primary contest in U. S. history.  He has proven in more than a dozen debates that his knowledge and expertise of the national economy and international affairs is equal or superior to every other candidate, Democrat or Republican, who ran for office this year.

And Joseph Biden has also proven his readiness to assume the enormous responsibility of high national office.

I could name twenty Republican women whose preparedness and qualifications are astronomical next to Sarah Palin.  Her selection is a joke.