McCain's gamble may pay off

In an audacious move, Republican presidential candidate John McCain has chosen Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential running mate. To say that Palin is a virtual unknown would be denigrating her successful term in office as governor of Alaska, during which she made her presence and her opinions well known. Her conservatism aligns itself well alongside the views of McCain; in certain areas even more strongly than McCain has so far expressed. Palin's opinion on abortion, for example, has been expressed frequently and loudly enough for there to be no doubt about where she stands; reason enough for the religious right and conservative bodies like the Family Research Council to align themselves with Palin and, of course, McCain.

McCain's choice creates a "dream team" in that he combines experience with youthful dynamics, a good counter to the Obama/Biden ticket where the qualities can be said to be in reverse. What happens between now and the election is anybody's guess, but certainly those Democrat waverers who were toying with the idea of voting for McCain, mainly through chauvinistic reasons, have been given the opportunity to carry out their threat and shift their vote away from Obama.