McCain picks Palin as surprise No. 2
DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican John McCain picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on Friday, a senior campaign official said, in a surprise choice that could help him appeal to women voters.
The choice of Palin, 44, will be unveiled later on Friday in a rally in Dayton as McCain grabs the political focus away from Democratic rival Barack Obama one day after Obama accepted his party's presidential nomination.
McCain and Palin will face Obama and his No. 2, Joe Biden, in the November 4 presidential election.
The pick followed days of speculation about McCain's choice, with most of the better-known contenders like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney slowly eliminated over the last 24 hours.
Palin is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong anti-abortion views and a record of fiscal conservatism. She is an avid sportswoman who would bring youth and vitality to the ticket. McCain turns 72 on Friday.
Palin is not well-known nationally, and that could cut into McCain's argument that Obama is too inexperienced to handle the White House. But she could help him appeal to disaffected supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost a bruising primary to Obama.
In his acceptance speech on Thursday, Obama directly attacked McCain and linked him to what he called the failed Republican economic policies of President George W. Bush.
Palin, former mayor of the town of Wasilla, built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals. Elected in 2006, she is Alaska's first woman governor.
Palin is almost unknown nationally, which could hurt McCain's argument that Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, is too inexperienced to handle the White House.
But she could help him appeal to disaffected supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost a bruising primary to Obama.
In his acceptance speech on Thursday, Obama directly attacked McCain and linked him to what he called the failed Republican policies of President George W. Bush, promising to reverse eight years of economic failure and restore the standing of the United States in the world.
REFORMER
Palin, former mayor of the town of Wasilla, built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals. Elected in 2006, she is Alaska's first woman governor.
Palin and her husband, Todd, have five children, ranging in age from 18 years to 4 months.
"She brings an excitement on the part of the Republican base. The strong conservatives really like her and you have to activate the base," said Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University in Des Moines.
"He is also clearly trying to attract Clinton supporters who want to see a female in the VP's office ... On the down side there is no way in the world she passes the commander-in-chief test."
If elected, Palin would be the first woman U.S. vice president, adding another historic element to a presidential race that has been filled with firsts. Obama, 47, is the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party
McCain and Republicans open their national convention on Monday, following Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday before 75,000 flag-waving supporters at a grand political rally in Denver's open-air football stadium.
In his acceptance speech, Obama said McCain was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education.
"Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know," said Obama, who had been urged by some Democrats to take a tougher line against McCain.
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?" Obama asked, citing McCain's voting record in the U.S. Senate.
The televised acceptance speech gave Obama his biggest national audience until he meets McCain in late September in the first of three debates. The two are running neck-and-neck in polls.
McCain quickly grabbed back the political limelight with the choice of Palin. The two will appear together at a rally before about 10,000 supporters in a state, Ohio, that is a crucial battleground state in November's election.
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Jeff Mason
The choice of Palin, 44, will be unveiled later on Friday in a rally in Dayton as McCain grabs the political focus away from Democratic rival Barack Obama one day after Obama accepted his party's presidential nomination.
McCain and Palin will face Obama and his No. 2, Joe Biden, in the November 4 presidential election.
The pick followed days of speculation about McCain's choice, with most of the better-known contenders like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney slowly eliminated over the last 24 hours.
Palin is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong anti-abortion views and a record of fiscal conservatism. She is an avid sportswoman who would bring youth and vitality to the ticket. McCain turns 72 on Friday.
Palin is not well-known nationally, and that could cut into McCain's argument that Obama is too inexperienced to handle the White House. But she could help him appeal to disaffected supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost a bruising primary to Obama.
In his acceptance speech on Thursday, Obama directly attacked McCain and linked him to what he called the failed Republican economic policies of President George W. Bush.
Palin, former mayor of the town of Wasilla, built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals. Elected in 2006, she is Alaska's first woman governor.
Palin is almost unknown nationally, which could hurt McCain's argument that Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, is too inexperienced to handle the White House.
But she could help him appeal to disaffected supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost a bruising primary to Obama.
In his acceptance speech on Thursday, Obama directly attacked McCain and linked him to what he called the failed Republican policies of President George W. Bush, promising to reverse eight years of economic failure and restore the standing of the United States in the world.
REFORMER
Palin, former mayor of the town of Wasilla, built a reputation as a reformer in a state that recently has been hit with corruption scandals. Elected in 2006, she is Alaska's first woman governor.
Palin and her husband, Todd, have five children, ranging in age from 18 years to 4 months.
"She brings an excitement on the part of the Republican base. The strong conservatives really like her and you have to activate the base," said Dennis Goldford, a professor of politics at Drake University in Des Moines.
"He is also clearly trying to attract Clinton supporters who want to see a female in the VP's office ... On the down side there is no way in the world she passes the commander-in-chief test."
If elected, Palin would be the first woman U.S. vice president, adding another historic element to a presidential race that has been filled with firsts. Obama, 47, is the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party
McCain and Republicans open their national convention on Monday, following Obama's acceptance speech on Thursday before 75,000 flag-waving supporters at a grand political rally in Denver's open-air football stadium.
In his acceptance speech, Obama said McCain was out of touch with the day-to-day concerns of Americans and had been "anything but independent" on key issues like the economy, health care and education.
"Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know," said Obama, who had been urged by some Democrats to take a tougher line against McCain.
"Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush was right more than 90 percent of the time?" Obama asked, citing McCain's voting record in the U.S. Senate.
The televised acceptance speech gave Obama his biggest national audience until he meets McCain in late September in the first of three debates. The two are running neck-and-neck in polls.
McCain quickly grabbed back the political limelight with the choice of Palin. The two will appear together at a rally before about 10,000 supporters in a state, Ohio, that is a crucial battleground state in November's election.
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland, writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Frances Kerry)
By Jeff Mason
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