The choice of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s Vice Presidential nominee is an absolute masterstroke. It truly is, and for a number of reasons.
Palin has been quoted as being tenacious. The senior pastor (Ed Kalnins) at Palin’s church, the Assembly of God, said of Palin: “Once she understands a truth, she bites down on it and won’t let go of the truth.” This tells me that a) she’ll research what she’s talking about, b) form her decision on the subject, and c) she’ll stick to her beliefs until step a) reveals more information, then she’ll re-evaluate. The United States could very well deal with that kind of skill and decision making, particularly as it’s something many on the Left side of politics say that neither the current President nor the current Vice President are capable of.
Palin is also unafraid to not pull the Republican party line. While mayor of Wasilla and later Governor of Alaska, she was unafraid to propose new projects and different ways of resolving issues facing her communities which were in contradiction of the proposals put forward by other Republicans in the party, and her stance on ethics was a major contributor to her being elected to Governor in a landslide against previous Republican Governor Frank Murkowski. While she has had her moments of being rather divisive, she also has a lot of talent for working in a team.
The Tizona Group 