Reply #61: They would have assumed that anyone

[SheilaT]

who is a governor of any state is a skilled politician. They'd have seen one or two small things about her record, how she cut certain programs, got LOTS of earmarks for her state, which Republicans think is good so long as those earmarks benefit fellow Republicans. They would have seen that she is nominally attractive, and the five children, including one with Down Syndrome and a son recently enlisted in the army all added up to a Middle American Archetype. The part about the pregnant daughter wasn't known yet, so that was included.

Also, every so often someone says something like McCain (or the Republicans) are deliberately trying to lose the election, or, as someone above said, chose Palin to spite the party elders because he couldn't have Lieberman. Don't ever think that way. NO politician at any level ever wants anything other than to win.