When I first heard the news, my initial reaction was that of shock and disappointment. Why? Well, as a Massachusetts Republican, I felt to an extent that Mitt Romney had been slighted, and that the party had not been served well by this pick. Secondly, I didn’t know much, if anything about the candidate, and that was also a concern. Palin does not bring name recognition, or a well established record that can be touted. Again, that was my initial reaction, and not my position as I sit here now writing this post. I decided to research Sarah Palin. Who was she? What did she stand for? Was she tough? I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this woman represented the very best of us, and someone the American people could count on in the White House. Yes, there is the lack of foreign Policy experience. I’m not overly worried about that as McCain brings this in spades and I’m sure she’ll gain that experience in the first year if this team is elected. What she brings to the table is something that’s been painfully lacking in the Republican Party. A fresh face. A true change. The first woman to be selected as a Vice Presidential candidate in the Republican Party. In short, she brings a message to America that the Republican Party is changing as well, and can also be considered “The Party of Change”.

Now let’s get to the fun stuff. How does the Democratic Party establishment react to this pick.

• I have heard that 23% of the Clinton vote is still undecided. This is a telling statistic
• Many from the Clinton camp feel that Hillary was slighted and deserved better. That anger could work against the Democrats in this election. How good would that feel…
• Joe Biden is a tough debater and loves to act Bombasticlly when debating. This could backfire against him if he is perceived to be attacking Palin. The fact is, he will know this going into any debate, and that my friends, is going to make for great television.
• I look forward to watching Michelle Obama’s attempt to mask her disgust if asked about Palin, or if Palin eventually addresses an audience in her presence. She could barely hide her disdain for Clinton, let alone a female speaking from the enemy camp.
• She’s a hunter and a member of the NRA. She won’t take the guns away from the good guys. How will the Dem’s attack her on this? If they do, they’ll risk angering many Americans who want to retain the right to protect their homes and families.
• She has a son in the Military who is deployed in Iraq. Can you picture the Dem’s trying to make the claim that she doesn’t care about our troops deployed overseas? Ain’t gonna happen!

The Dem’s won’t have Mitt Romney’s success to beat on. I’m quite sure they had prepared for him and other front running Republican candidates. You can bet they were ready to unleash this in the form of negative campaign adds. They will now have to spend more time and money looking for holes in Palin’s armor. The problem is, she doesn’t have as long a track record to criticize, and she’s not a Mormon.

As T.O. once said, Getcha Popcorn Ready! This one’s gonna be fun…

Sally D