Less than twelve hours after Democratic presidential nomination Barack Obama made waves with his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, John McCain made tsunami with his selection of Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin [1] as running mate. Palin was the youngest person ever, and the first woman to be elected to the Alaskan governate (in 2006), and previously served as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and on the City Council of that same town.
The blogosphere reacted swiftly to the news. Czech blogger the reference frame thinks [2] McCain's choice of Palin improves his prospects:
Sarah Palin (44), the governor of Alaska, and her life surely look fascinating and she will probably make McCain's GOP ticket much stronger (and certainly much younger! McCain is 72 today) but some of her attitudes make it slightly less clear what is she doing in the Republican Party (besides whistleblowing). ;-)
The Cuban author of
Babalu Blog is clearly pleased [3] with McCain's choice. Referring to Palin, she says:
She is a conservative Republican, pro-life, a free-trade capitalist, an NRA member. Oh, and she's a woman, if you missed that.
This should re-define the Obama's CHANGE slogan. The Republicans have a little change of their own up their sleeves, huh?
Russian blogger Laurence Jarvik wonders [4] about the role gender will play in the election, saying:
At least McCain picked a fresh face…although how many Democratic women would cross party lines to vote for Sarah Palin is unclear. Ironic that Obama seems to be targeting the bitter white working class clinging to their guns, while McCain appears to be going after feminists.
Meanwhile, Turkish blogger talkturkey is annoyed [5] that Palin's nomination has raised the gender card again:
Palin is a Governor, with executive branch experience, and brings a non-legislative approach to the race, since all three remaining males are Senators. But I am not sure if having a white female (and a virtual unknown) is going to persuade white women (possibly Hillary supporters — or whatever is left of them) to vote Republican instead of a man. Since it will still be a man at the top job . . .
In Kuwait, Teach the Masses is more interested [6] in the example Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin have set for young women:
So history will be made: for the first time either a) a black American will be in the white house as president or b) a woman as Vice president.
All in all this is a good lesson for the girls in our schools- they have seen through Hillary Clinton and now Sarah Palin what a woman with an education can do.
Finally, Egyptian Chronicles reminds us [7] of the fact that no matter what happens, this year's election is making history:
She was the surprise of the day and the evidence that this race of the American elections 2008 is one of the most interesting races ever. All People expected after the huge of celebration of Obama in the NDC and choosing a foreign policies vet like Joe Biden as his Vice that the race was over and the republicans got nothing new to offer , even the expectations on who would McCain’s vice were not interesting.