Sarah Palin told us she's just a hockey mom. Not exactly. She started out as a local celebrity.
The McCain campaign has attacked Barack Obama as a celebrity with no foreign policy experience.
With todays' pick, they removed those issues from the table. Palin has no foreign policy experience, and was a local celebrity before her first election in 1992. Palin can appeal to women and men who are social conservatives, but she was never just a "hockey mom."
Sarah Palin presented herself today as someone who started out as a hockey mom. In fact, in 1984, like her friend Cindy MCain, (Rodeo Queen) whom she thanked today, Palin began as a beauty queen (Miss Wasilla) and worked later as a sports announcer. Despite her lack of foreign policy or national experience, she has been a local celebrity and local elected politician for sixteen years.
In 1988, she married. As her children grew, she did become an active parent.
Though "hockey mom" has appeal to many men and women, a beauty queen is a celebrity.
But Democrats would be foolish to underestimate her.
As a point guard for her basketball team, she earned the name "Sarah Barracuda" for her intense competitive streak. And she has conservative Christian ties to the heartland. She was a local president of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which has strong roots in Missouri, Ohio, and other swing states. Also, her NRA creds will help in Montana, Pennsylvania, and other states.
Since this pick diminishes the power of the "celebrity" and "experience" memes McCain has been using, it isn't clear what McCain's new line of attack will be at next week's convention.