From the Dayton Daily News - Sept 3, 2008
Tonight's just the start for McCain's VP
For Sen. John McCain and the Republicans, figuring out how to respond to Hurricane Gustav is turning out to be easier than dealing with some of the questions about Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin...This is the risk Sen. McCain knowingly took when he plucked a new, obscure governor from a tiny state (in population) to be his choice for the person who would take over for him if he were president and couldn't do his duties.
Gov. Palin, who made her national debut in Dayton Friday, is this week being vetted in ways beyond what the McCain people did. Though the campaign knew that she has been criticized for allegedly playing a role in firing a state official who wouldn't fire her sister's estranged state-trooper husband; though presumably it knew Gov. Palin was for the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" before she was against it (not the impression she left in Dayton ); though the campaign says it knew that her 17-year-old daughter was pregnant; these facts, among others, do complicate the narrative that Republicans are trying to create at this week's convention...Tonight Gov. Palin is supposed to speak at the convention, introducing herself to a wider audience than she had at her dry-run in Dayton. If she lives up to her reputation, she will be poised, charismatic, energizing and inspiring, especially to some women and to factions in the Republican Party that don't think Sen. McCain is one of them...The worry persists that Sen. McCain, by choosing Gov. Palin, is showing that he's more worried about appealing to the Republican base than giving the republic an experienced president-in-waiting...In having so little face-to-face contact with Gov. Palin prior to his decision, in choosing someone whose public record is so thin and whose public service is so brief, Sen. McCain is trusting his gut. Maybe he's right, but he is gambling.
Akron Beacon Journal - Sept 3, 2008 -
What was John McCain thinking?
... As Palin devoted time to her acceptance speech, the rest of the convention reeled from revelations about her family life, in particular, the pregnancy of her 17-year-old daughter. John McCain and Barack Obama are right: The pregnancy is a private matter, involving difficult choices familiar to many families.
This revelation and others hardly disqualify Palin. They are reminders of the care required in selecting a running mate. McCain wanted to make a bold statement about his presidency - independent, responsive, ''country first.'' The selection surprised, to be sure. What McCain must make clear is that the choice wasn't made in haste....The old saw goes that the selection of a running mate is a candidate's first presidential decision. McCain faces a challenging political landscape. So he was looking, understandably, to boost his campaign. The choice already has invited legitimate questions about Palin's preparation. Was the process careless?
From The Plain Dealer - Sept 1, 2008
McCain takes a gamble on Sarah Palin
His maverick streak has always been one of John McCain's most appealing traits, especially to those voters who refuse to believe that all wisdom resides on any one side of the political aisle.
With his stunning selection of Sarah Palin -- the 44-year-old, first-term governor of Alaska -- McCain has reinforced that image in the public's mind.
Conventional wisdom would have suggested a more seasoned running mate to underscore the experience argument against Democrat Barack Obama and to alleviate concerns about McCain's age. The Republican candidate has gone in a very different direction...We'll know better after this week...(whether) McCain's gamble means he is going to make reform of Washington the centerpiece of his campaign. That's a substantial theme, worthy of a critical presidential election.