I like to read some of the blogs at Townhall. What can I say -- they're more pompous, and pompously entertaining, than Malkin/Coulter/Lucianne et al. If there's a funnier human being than Hugh Hewitt, I haven't met him.
Anyway, it was one month ago today that Townhall's own Michael Medved, meditating on McCain's yet-unnamed VP pick, proferred this wisdom:
In the same way that the Dems assumed they got enough novelty and excitement from the top of the ticket so they could go with experience and gravitas for the second spot, so the Republicans should recognize that they’ve got plenty of experience and gravitas with McCain so with his running mate they can go with a “breath of fresh air” candidate—someone new, unexpected, thrilling in some way, in order to shake up the electoral dynamic and undermine the big bounce Obama expects from Denver.
Michael's recommendation for a breath of fresh air?
I would suggest – strongly – that the campaign reconsider the Senior Senator from Texas, the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Okay, she’s not a dynamo of fiery charisma...
Which kinda undercut his own point about "new, unexpected, thrilling," but whatever. The important thing was the comments, where one name emerged as a Townhall favorite -- a little-known, heckuva gal from Alaska!
Medved had already written about Palin back in May. Back then, he said:
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska? An intriguing possibility, because this athlete and former beauty queen has already inspired an admiring website called “America’s Hottest Governor.” At 44, she definitely brings youth (and charisma) to the ticket, but experience is a real problem: she’s been governor less than two years, and before that served only as mayor of the town of Wasilla (hardly qualification for leader of the free world).
(Whoops. Ix-nay on the experience-way thing, Michael.)
But Townhall readers disagreed -- they knew a rising star when they saw one, and they could see the future...
SHE WAS ALMOST TOO DECENT!
Would be a surprise grand slam. An amazing woman - almost too decent of a person to run for national office.
SHE WOULD BE BLUNDER-FREE!
It's time the conservatives unleash the new young lions in the conservative movement. Sarah Palin for VP, she is a magnet for all that have been disappointed by the republicans and their many blunders. Her strong will and determination will bring a breath of fresh air to energy independance, pork spending and commonsense to global warming nonsense.
SHE HAD BRAINS AND INTEGRITY!
Sarah Palin is second. Once people see and listen to her - Palin will take all the Hutchison votes and a chunk of Romney's. She's got charisma, brains, and integrity.
SHE'D HARDLY BECOME A PUNCHLINE ON LATE NIGHT TV!
I predict that she would have Letterman and Leno eating out of her hand!
SHE'D SEW UP THE GAL VOTE!
Palin would attract a lot of the disenfranchised Hillary voters.
SHE'D KICK JOE BIDEN'S ASS!
Gov. Sarah Palin is young, conservative, an NRA lifetime member, pro-family (5 children, including Trig, a Downs Syndrome child), and an energetic corruption fighter in the Teddy Roosevelt mold. She would outshine Biden in a VP debate, and bring a lot of excitement to this race, as well as bring in some of the PUMAs/Hillary supporters
.
SHE COULD USE HER DOWNS SYNDROME BABY TO HIT BARACK OBAMA IN THE FACE!
All other supporters here are right - the anti-corruption, the Down's baby (that would just bust smarmy B.O. and his pay grade comment and infanticide vote right in the chops), plus the influence she would have in getting the .1% of AWNR opened up.
Um...I think Sarah herself might've written this one:
1)She's YOUNG and energetic 2)She'll push for energy from Alaska being tapped, to provide for the lower 48 -- even ANWR, and could change McCain's mind on this 3)She's pro-life 4)She's fought corruption in Alaska and stopped the bridge to "Nowhere" -- She's a fighter. We need that on the ticket -- 5)She comes from a middle-class background - no "silver spoon" upbringing for Dems to charge her with 6)She's beautiful -- women want to BE her, men just want her (shallow? maybe, but true)
Oh, and this smells like Todd:
So, again check out vibrant Gov. Palin shooting guns with the National Guard (?)--lifetime member of the NRA, beauty queen, led her basketball team to state championship ("Sarah barracuda"), mother of 5 (latest baby has downs). Cleaned up state government and is married to an Alaskan fisherman (the toughest)--she's got it all.
Of course, a few people tempered their enthusiasm for such an unknown quantity, but they did have to admit...
Sarah Palin. She would be a solid choice, although she is a first term governor, and might get some criticism with regards to her experience. She is a looker though.
And that was Sarah Palin, potential VP candidate, one month ago today on Townhall, where canny political observers always get everything right. Especially this person:
You've just stated precisely the reasons why Palin will not be selected--she's TOO impressive.
Precisely.