After 18 hours of red-hot speculation, the McCain campaign officially confirmed that he has picked the 44-year-old governor of Alaska as his vice presidential nominee:
Palin is considered a rising star in the Republican Party. She is the state’s first female governor, the mother of five — and at 44 is its youngest chief executive.
Early Friday morning, dcexaminer.com noted a Gulfstream IV’s flight path from Anchorage, Alaska to Middletown, Ohio in a news alert.
Palin brings political advantages to the ticket, not least of which is that the unexpected nature of the pick will crowd out news of Obama’s acceptance speech for much of the day. She is staunchly pro-life, and has a reputation as a conservative, reform governor in Alaska. She also has the potential to reach disaffected Hillary Clinton voters who are angry that Clinton was passed over for the VP slot on the Democratic ticket.
Palin will also face questions about her executive experience and readiness to be commander in chief if necessary. Only governor of Alaska for 24 months, Palin will be facing a man with a long foreign affairs resume during vice presidential debates. Republicans are hoping Obama’s own lack of experience will inoculate Palin from such attacks, and that her presence will serve as a contrast to what they call the “inside-the-Beltway” combination of Obama and Biden.
