McCain picks Sarah Palin as running mate
The Democratic ticket may not have a woman on it - to the disgust of millions of Hillary Clinton supporters - but the Republican ticket now does.
John McCain today announced that his vice presidential candidate will be Sarah Palin, the 44-year-old governor of Alaska.
A relative political newcomer, Palin has been state governor since December 2006, before which her only political experience was being the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, a town of fewer than 10,000 people.
By naming her as his running mate, McCain has ensured that whatever happens in the presidential election on November 4, it will result in an American first - either the election of the first African-American president, or the election of the first female vice-president.
McCain, clearly anxious to swing media attention back in his direction after a week in which the Obamas and the Clintons have dominated the headlines, passed over three high-profile candidates for the role - Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Tim Pawlenty, the Minnesota governor.
The announcement comes as Republicans descend on St Paul, Minnesota, for their national convention on Monday. Palin is to address the convention on Wednesday. Before that, she will face her Democratic opposite number, Joe Biden, in a televised debate on Tuesday.
FIRST POSTED AUGUST 29, 2008
Sarah Palin: McCain's hot shot Veep
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I believe it was Alex Castellanos ( a Republican Strategist) that I heard- after the OBAMA Convention speech- on CNN/FoX giving a little story about a Republican campaign manager who was active in the last elections and decided to lay low this year. Alex commented that the campaign manager was probably overjoyed that he had made that decision. The simple fact is that All the others PULLED! YES, NO ONE wanted to stand with MCCAIN. He was on his own. Sarah Palin, was a last-minute, desperate pick. That's it. All the other choices are still young enough to try running again. Who wants to be the VP pick on a losing ticket?
Posted by Faith Blackwood at 9:01pm on August 31, 2008
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