McCain chooses Running Mate

Today McCain introduced his running mate : Sarah Palin. She is the first woman to serve on a GOP presidential ticket and the first Alaskan to appear on a national ticket. (Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman nominated to the Democratic ticket in 1984.) News writers say this choice was designed to garner women's votes and assuage doubts about his age.

I am quite intrigued that McCain chose a woman to run with him. I guess he does not want to be left behind in the wake of all these revolutionary firsts by the democrats. He might also be trying to steal votes that would have gone towards Hillary, or to get the staunch conservatives more on his side.

It was certainally an interesting choice for several reasons. First of all, Palin is much younger (only 44) than Biden and even younger than Obama. Although she was quite popular, she is undergoing an investigation after allegations that she tried to have a state official fire a state trooper who happened to be her ex-brother-in-law. "I look forward to any kind of investigation or questions being asked because I’ve got nothing to hide," said Palin.

Furthermore, the Democrats think McCain's choice is a "gamble." "After the great success of the Democratic convention, the choice of Sarah Palin is surely a Hail Mary pass," New York Sen. Chuck Schumer said. "Certainly the choice of Palin puts to rest any argument about inexperience on the Democratic team."

I found it interesting that she has five children and the youngest, born last April, has Down's syndrome. I wonder if this will make her more sympathetic towards the disabled, especially as she is strongly pro-life. Patin said she found news of her son's disability very hard to take, but also said: "Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome."

At any rate, she has a strong anti-abortion record and is a member of "Feminists for Life," a group that works to make health-care and child-care resources available to ``pregnant or parenting students."