While some prominent conservative bloggers are disappointed at the Palin pick, and worried that Gov. Palin may become Geraldine Ferraro Redux, one thing I noticed today that has been lacking on our side of the aisle for a long while is back:

Excitement and Energy.

Hell, just look at the comment and traffic activity here, at Moron Central, and elsewhere. This move has excited many in the base of the Party to actually (gasp) kinda, just maybe, don't look twice, support McCain.

Also, I tip my hat to Maverick for being ballsy enough to eschew the Conventional Wisdom that picking another capable, though boring, white guy with ties to a "battleground state or area" was the wise move. He gambled on energy and buzz, and it is paying off in the short term. And all of this without pissing off a base that (myself included) already eyed Maverick with suspicion and caution.

Yeah, Pawlenty, Portman, Cantor, and Romney may very well have been wonkish Beltway approved picks, or ones that would have helped solidify states like Michigan or Ohio, but would they have generated this sort of buzz? Would they have been able to get more than a "meh. I guess I'll support him" from many in the base? Would my wife and that friend of mine I see at the playground with his daughters when I take my daughter to the park be talking about Romney tonight like he was Palin?

Why do I mention my wife? Here's why. She works in a secure office without TV, radio, or internet access. She didn't know about the Palin pick until she heard it in the car on the way home from her job. She immediately called me screaming, "Did you hear?!?!?" That is how excited she was over the Sarah Palin pick. If a person who really doesn't follow politics too much can get this excited, how many times over has that happened across America this afternoon and evening?

Hey, this race is tight, and McCain could have played it safe and gone for a boring pick. He didn't need to do a desperation pick, ala Mondale/Ferraro in 1984. But the Palin choice has rocked the campaign season to its core. No more proof is needed than the fact Team Obama seems on its heels for the first time since Jeremiah Wright became a household name.

Of course, I am writing this after settling my daughter down for bed and enjoying a nightcap to help me forget about my job. So who knows?

But well played, Senator McCain. Well played.

Posted by: eddiebear at 11:21 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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