McCain Announces Palin VP Pick in Dayton, Ohio (YouTube Video)

The McCain campaign gave it their best to pull together a rally full of 10,000 McCain supporters for the first Palin and McCain rally. Free tickets were distributed to “entice” Republicans to attend the rally and buses were sent to neighboring states in order to fill the stadium.

One day after Obama packed in 84,000 people into a 75,000 seat stadium, McCain pulled off his largest rally of the campaign with 10,000.

There certainly is a large enthusiasm gap to cover if you are John McCain running against Barack Obama.

How much will Palin contribute in the way of enthusiasm? I’m sure it was hard for most Republicans to get excited about Palin when it was the first time they had heard her name in many cases.

Republicans are going to have to get to know Palin or the little there is to know about her. She was the mayor of a town of 9,000 and has now been Governor of Alaska for less than 2 years.

Palin is a gun touting, staunchly pro-life, and evangelical mother of five. She is a lifetime member of the NRA, opposes gay marriage, and is a strong advocate for drilling in our artic wildlife reserves.

“After trying to make experience the issue of this campaign, John McCain celebrated his 72nd birthday by appointing a former small-town mayor and brand new governor as his vice presidential nominee. Is this really who the Republican Party wants to be one heartbeat away from the presidency?” Rahm Emanuel said.

Emanuel’s sharp criticism is exactly right. John McCain’s VP choice is even more important given his age. Palin’s inexperience in governance and lack of foreign policy experience is laughable.

Joe Biden will rip her into proverbial, shreds in the VP debates.

What was McCain thinking, in all honesty? Palin on the ticket completely ends the debate about experience and does nothing to appeal to Democratic voters. McCain is clearly reaching out to his base and evangelical women.

In reference to the 18 million people who voted for Clinton in the primary, James Carville said that with this pick McCain would “be lucky to get 18 of them.”

Palin’s pro-life position offers nothing to most female voters. Combined with her position on guns, oil, and gay marriage, Palin offers nothing to potential Democratic voters.

Palin will certainly help unite Democrats behind Obama and Biden given that McCain and Palin are the other two options. Those that were unhappy with Obama being the nominee will be even more unhappy with a McCain Palin administration.