So, in an effort to take the spotlight off Barack Obama, (which I'm in dire need of, looking at what's available on the international news channels) John McCain announced his Vice-President earlier today: Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska, a woman he only met this February.

It's not hard to see why McCain picked her. She's young (three years younger than Obama, 44 years old), she's a fresh face in Republican circles, and yes -she is a woman; obviously designed to steal Hilary Clinton voters away from the Democrats. On the downside, however, she has even less political experience than Obama, being Governor of Alaska for less than two years; this means McCain can no longer play the experience card against Obama, which might be increasingly important as the election draws closer.

As for her policies, she is good in some areas, and not so good in others. She's pro-drilling, both in the Gulf of Mexico and in Alaska. She also gave Alaskans a tax rebate worth several thousand dollars each, but was at the expense of raising taxes on oil companies, which could've been disastrous for Alaska, had it been large enough. She's also pro-life (although not a complete nutter, like many in the US).

But, all in all, I'd much rather have her as Vice-President than Biden (Obama's running-mate from Delaware).

Story: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/30/MN8J12KR7Q.D...