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usc

politics

Yes, Sarah Palin!

Joshua Sharp

Posted: Aug 30th 2008 1:11PM

Filed under: US Elections, Politics, Breaking News, USC, Advise & Dissent

Animated disagreement between coworkers is a venerable tradition often denied to Bright Hall's far-flung, break room-less staff. Advise & Dissent is an attempt to fix that. Click here for past debates.

My colleagues seem a bit ruffled by McCain's choice of Sarah Palin for VP. "Baffling," Megan Baker sighs. "[Biden] is going to crush her," a presumably overjoyed Matt Negrin squeals, before wondering if Alaska is part of the States. (Yes it is, Matt.)

But I couldn't be happier. Sarah Palin (pronounced PAY-lin) was the wild-card pick my Republican friends and I wanted McCain to make, but didn't know if he would or could.

In a state like Alaska, a cesspool of corruption, she took on members of her own party, fought to end the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere," and resigned as the head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission to protest a corrupt state party chairman. The investigation which followed led to his resignation. She brings executive experience, energy expertise, and a record of reform that highlights McCain's own maverick track record.

The Senator who led an investigation of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff has found a perfect match in Sarah Palin. And conservatives are electrified.

A friend attending the Republican National Convention told me excitedly, "Everyone here in Minneapolis is stoked for Palin!" James Dobson says he would pull that lever. A surge of energy Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty could never provide has struck conservatives, with a beauty-queen face to boot. No matter which ticket wins in November, history will be made, and the Republican Party will never be the same again.

Palin is a mother of five, including one who's headed to Iraq and another born with Down Syndrome. Her pro-life record isn't just rhetoric; it's her reality. She brings a compelling emotional narrative to a party often characterized as too insensitive.

This bold move is classic McCain -- high risk, high reward, and unconventional as hell.

Could Palin make a gaffe on the national stage? It's possible. But with the heft of experience McCain brings to the ticket, he just needs a practical, no-nonsense, anti-establishment running mate.

Enter, Sarah Palin.

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