McCain rolls the dice

A few weeks ago I was talking to a Republican who fretted that McCain wasn’t far enough behind. His worry was that the McCain campaign wouldn’t realise just how many risks it has to take to win. Well after McCain has tapped the young, inexperienced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin no one can make that argument anymore.

The question is this is a sensible risk or a stupid one? The argument for it being sensible is that she is a woman, a Washington outsider, a reformer, someone who excites social conservatives but doesn’t scare moderates and understands energy issues at a time when high gas prices regularly come in the top three issues for voters.

On the other hand, she has no national security experience and is not tested on the national political stage. Democrats are already saying how can someone who three years ago was mayor of Wasilla, whose population is less than ten thousand, be prepared to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. The TV pundits are already speculating about the stature gap at the VP debate between Joe Biden and her.

I suspect that the McCain campaign is betting that aggressive questioning of Palin’s experience from Democrats will appear sexist and that appealing to women and bolstering McCain’s reformist image is the most important thing for him to do. But this is a high risk, high reward strategy.

PS The McCain press release announcing her pick is below:

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us — Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska’s National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.