Questions to her about her views on the objectification of women would be quite appropriate.

"Anyone who denies evolution is an ignorrant, and is keeping their children ignorant by denying the evolutionary process. Evolution has been proven over, and over, and over again, and continues as we blog."

I'm a Darwinist myself, but the whole 'Palin is a creationist' meme is based on a few offhand statements, obviously to placate Christians on an issue that is not in any way central to this campaign, she has made about "teaching both sides" in schools.

Liberals, on the other hand, are the ones who have sent teams of terrorists rampaging through the scientific community trying to have GM research biologists burned as witches, trashing their labs, torching their homes, ripping up their test plants. At the same time, they are trying to bully every single scientist into believing in their apocalyptic global warming religion. They lobby for unbelievers to be cast out, their credentials stripped.

Sorry, but I'll take my chances with Palin and the off chance that my kids will be exposed to a few ideas they disagree with. The scientific method evolved over centuries of trial and error as a neutral search for truth, not a punching bag for political Maoists.

THANK YOU for your inspiring and thoughtful perspective! You are so completely and utterly right on the money.

As a feminist -- and a man -- I think this flies in the face of the true struggle for equality. My only regret is that this particular young woman, Sarah Palin, is going to get chewed up in the nasty process -- and then probably blamed for it.

People: How can a 73-year old man of "experience" so casually and blithely rub in our faces that he has no plan?

He's wingin' it. And the tokenism is breathtaking.

What is up with white people giving their kids such crazy names.

I have seen the dumbest arguments and people sold ... a lot of the points being made are weak.

SO she is a Governor of a state with a Tiny 600,000 population -- but she still got elected and has an 80% approval rating. She has some credentials as a reformer. She will appeal to the hardline Catholic vote (as opposed to the vast majority of a la carte Catholics who find the hardliners a pain) and she will help shore up the Republican base. Moreover, some of the PUMA/Hillary crowd are in fact, nuts -- and some will see gender as everything. She will be difficult for a grizzled old vet like Biden to attack, without looking like he is shooting Bambi (though she seems to favor deer-hunting.)

Start looking for weaknesses -- a Major in Journalism at the University of Idaho with a minor in Poli Sci does not make one see her as an intellectual heavyweight. The creationist daughter of a science teacher!! Her family moved from the far right wing paradise of Idaho to the welfare Right Wing paradise of Alaska -- surely there is some history of rightist pandering to be dug up there. Expect little from her journalism career after college -- she was a sport journalist. But still, as a Journalism major she must have written for the University of Idaho school paper -- and Idaho being what it is, ditto Alaska, views that would be uncontroversial there (and to Repug vetters) might be far from mainstream in the lower 48.

Come on folks dig and stop laughing

Because the pick leaves me bewildered. The only rationales for Palin to to pander to Hillary supporters and the far right. First, regardless of how much rhetoric Grover Norquist and his ilk would spew, they would never vote for BO. So that vote was already assured.

Secondly, the majority of Hillary supporters have a stance on pro choice. When they check out Palin's profile, the case is closed-no way they will vote this ticket. PUMA's are small in number and will probably split the vote-inconsequential.

Additionally, we have not seen the reaction of the GOP party. My bet is that there will be a segment expressing their dismay at the pick. The convention will likely not end with a united party ala the Dems.

Finally, the upcoming debates should be a joke. The only concern for BO and Biden is to not get too rough withe the issue of her being a woman. BO will make mince meat of JM (unless he is allowed to have Joe Lieberman whispering in his ear).

Like it or not, I think this was a smart move for McCain.

Even with just 18 months as Governor and a term as a village mayor this gives Palin more executive experience than the other three men in the race.

She can use the "old white guy being mean to a pretty girl with glasses" schtick during her debate with Biden. It really puts in a bind, to get acros his competance without making him look like a bully.

While conservative, she's also libertarian-leaning. As Ron Paul's campaign showed, there is some sympthy for the "leave us the hell alone" message, not to mention money.

Her stance on abortion is a personal decision that affected her, her husband, and her children when she showed she really believed it and gave birth to a child with down's syndrome. how can biden lecture her on a woman's right to choose, when she made the choice? I think she'll get some props for that.

Although there are other more qualified females out there, they are either too deeply associated with the Bush message (Condi) or just too damn old (Dole).

And let's face it, she's pretty. If Edwards and Clinton can do well with female voters just from their looks (you know it's true!), it certainly won't hurt with male voters than the person on TV for the next 4 years looks good in evening wear!

He won't win, but I think McCain's pick is excellent, at the very least he's gotten the talking heads to discuss somethign other than Obama tday and on the Sunday morning political shows.