Reactions to Palin Pick

Saturday, August 30, 2008 | 8:09 AM

By Sarah Scully
Given the disparity between mainstream media interest in Obama's VP selection versus McCain's, is it any wonder the Republican candidate made such a bold move? The publicity factor was clearly not the central reason for selecting Sarah Palin, but she has managed to shove Obama off of center stage for the time being. With a "maverickish" track record of her own, an intriguing life story and a face resembling Tina Fey's, the MSM may have just found a new crush. The criticism leveled at news organizations suggesting that their disproportionate coverage of Obama is a result of liberal partisanship may be proven wrong as Palin's newness is triggering almost as much attention. Whether she wins with Hillary voters, keeps Biden from being as ferocious as he would be against a man or cancels out attacks on Obama's lack of experience, Palin is giving the GOP a long overdue boost. The public has gotten a taste of the unfamiliar and is craving more after hundreds of years of mostly the same. Palin and Obama are on opposite sides of the issues but they represent twin landmarks for the paradigm shift that is occurring in American leadership.
Reactions to McCain's selection of Palin range from outrage to delight but most pick up on the GOP candidate's understanding that it is time to break down the identity barriers in electoral politics. Below are some of the more interesting reflections:
- Mark Halperin weighs the boldness with the risks. Note his use of the word "dishy" in describing Palin's husband.
- Fred Barnes examines Palin's unsung strengths in the Wall Street Journal.
- FiveThirtyEight.com breaks down the polling data on Palin.
- Politico's Jim Vandehei & John F. Harris deconstruct the matter with a list of six key revelations.
- CQ Politics focuses on historic aspect of McCain Palin.
- The WaPo reports on Obama's cautiously respectful response.