John McCain Introduces Sarah Palin as VP Pick

Photograph of McCain and Palin by Kiichiro Sato/AP

Republican presidential John McCain surprised most everyone by selecting Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his running mate. He said to the 44-year-old mother of five who joined him at an event in Dayton, Ohio, "I’m very happy today to spend my birthday with you, and to make a historic announcement in Dayton.” Palin is the first female vice presidential candidate in the Republican party.

McCain explained, "I’ve looked for the best to help me shake up Washington...She is exactly who this country needs to help us fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second." Palin is seen as a reformer--she even dismissed talk of being a VP choice earlier by saying, "As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration."

Not is it hoped that Palin will appeal to female swing voters, her selection gives something for social conservatives to get behind. Former head of the Christian Coalition Ralph Reed told the Times,"This is a home run. She is a reformer governor who is solidly pro-life and a person of deep Christian faith. And she is really one of the bright shining new stars in the Republican firmament.” She appeared with her husband and four of her children (her eldest son signed up for the Army on September 11 last year and is being deploying to Iraq next month) and said,"I know that it will demand the best I have to give, and I promise nothing less." She also said, "It was rightly noted ... that Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest hardest class ceiling in America. But it turns out that the women of America aren't finished yet!" Video after the jump.

McCain's announcement was designed to take some of the punch out of Barack Obama's acceptance speech last night. The Obama campaign issued this statement: “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Governor Palin shares John McCain’s commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush’s failed economic policies — that’s not the change we need, it’s just more of the same.”

One interesting detail about Palin is that she was the runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant. In this video interview with Newsweek, Palin explained she did the pageant circuit for scholarship money, which did pay for college. The Newsweek video also has Palin's thoughts on Hillary Clinton's claims of sexism on the campaign trail (Palin says as a female politician, "you have to plow through it").

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 29, 2008 2:07 PM

Comments [rss]

cushington

Most cynical exchange re: Palin

"She has a downs baby, too. Trig."

"Trig?"

"Yeah, the name of the baby."

"As in trigonometry?"

"I guess."

"You really have to question her judgment. It's almost - but not as bad - as naming a retarded child Calculus."

"Not as bad... But the more we know about her, the more revolting it becomes - "

"Yeah the poster woman for abstinence has a knocked up high schooler... It's like on one side you've got the celebrity - Paris - Hilton type and on the other side you've got Jerry Springer contestants."

Leon Freilich

SO SAYS JOHN

McCain's been taken in hand

By foreign policy Bushies

Who've taught him the difference

Between the Sunnis and Sushis.

John Knee

When I see her name on the tube it is listed as so: Sarah Palin (R-AK)

Is that misogynistic or sexist?

Jen,

If a woman was going to vote for Hillary solely because Hillary is a woman, then I don't see why Palin's conservatism would be an issue.

ungawaa

McCan't Vp pick is laughable; reaches for "change" and comes up with lint!

unregistered_wiseguy

And as governor of Alaska for only two years, she has more executive experience than Obama and Biden combined.

bxbrian

This woman is the Microsoft Zune of the campaign.

A little odd, you don't see many people proud of it, it still sorta works and it's sort of pretty in it's own way.

But at the end of the day, it's still a knockoff that's too new and unreliable for anyone to really take seriously.

nik13

LOL @ tweet post #17 they "really" needed you there.

Polar bears are a common vermin in Alaska, while NYC Commies are a display quantity.

Rfive

M.I.L.F.

matthew gannon

TuraLura is correct. This VP pick is thoroughly cynical.

It's also not a "maverick" pick from McCain. While Palin is a surprise choice, she passes the GOP purity test from both the social conservative and economic/fiscal conservative wings of the party.

She also lacks the depth to challenge McCain on security issues, which means she's acceptable to the neocon/warmonger Republicans.

Her position on Iraq is troubling. She said "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." And she has a son going to Iraq. Astonishing.

glennQNYC

McCain is totally checking out her ass in that picture.

glennQNYC

This is the political free market responding to the demands of the voters.

After looking at the Obama's success with a thin resume, and 'glass breaking,' historic feel; the McCain campaign responded accordingly. Quite effectively I'd add... Is anyone taking about that concert at Mile High last night?

NannyState

Quite big tits.

TuraLura

Please. It was totally obvious that McCain would pick an anti-choice woman. Only the fact that the woman he picked is Palin is at all surprising.

This is no different than the Republicans running Alan Keyes in the Senate race against Obama in 2004. And the result will be exactly the same.

My God, can you imagine what Republicans would say about a female Democrat who chose to run for high office with a 4-month-old with Down's Syndrome at home? They pilloried Hillary in '92 for not baking cookies! This pick shows the craven hypocrisy and utter cynicism of the GOP- not to mention panicked desperation. They thought they had a permanent majority locked up; now they're watching it all slip away. And not a moment too soon- in fact it's been much too long.

This is bunk, pure and simple. They have no shame.

JacqueMehoff

I'd rather hear change change change than

I'm just a hockey mom from alaska.

and the changes were outlined last night.

values_hehe

Not that I'm voting for McCain necessarily, but how could anyway possibly object to Palin simply because she's a gimmick per se? Doesn't arguing that your greatest strength is that you're a newcomer who can effect change and then selecting someone who has been in DC for almost 40 years expose you as pretty gimmicky? I might vote for Obama anyway, but not because I believe the mononotous, empty, political mantra of "Change" "Change" "Change" blasted in my face over and over again.

And I realize that abortion is a touchy issue for everyone, but doesn't raising five children while having an incredibly successful career in a male-dominated field while still feeling comfortable running in something like a beauty pageant qualify you as a role model for at least *some* women???