Palin no Panic

Hot Air has picked up a really interesting story in the Washington Post that would dispel many notions of Palin being a token or lat minute pick for the McCain campaign:

Their first encounter was last February at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. Sarah Palin was one of several governors who met privately with Sen. John McCain, by then well on his way to capturing the Republican presidential nomination, and her directness and knowledge were impressive.
Later that day, at a largely social gathering organized by his campaign, McCain spent 15 minutes in private conversation with the first-term Alaska governor. “I remember him talking about her when he came back,” a McCain adviser said. “He said she was an impressive woman. He liked her.” …
Far from being a last-minute tactical move or a second choice when better known alternatives were eliminated, Palin was very much in McCain’s thinking from the beginning of the selection process, according to McCain’s advisers. The 44-year-old governor made every cut as the first list of candidates assembled last spring was slowly winnowed. The more McCain learned about her, the more attracted he was to her as someone who shared his maverick, anti-establishment instincts.

I have seen a significant up-tick in the excitement level of the women in my life (both moms, sisters, and of course Lacy). We would not be seeing this had McCain picked a man, even Mitt Romney. This is purely anecdotal evidence, but I think it is significant.

For a lot of reader feedback on the Palin pick check out this post at IRF.