One day after the conclusion of the much-hyped about Democratic national convention, Senator McCain announced his Vice-Presidential running mate in hopes of killing some of Senator’s Obama’s rolling momentum with the choice of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. Not much has been know about Palin prior to McCain’s annoucement, so who exactly is Palin and why did McCain choose her?

Sarah Palin is a a feisty young reformer from small-town Alaska who was elected as the Governor for the state of Alaska in 2006, running her governor’s campaign on ethics and bringing morals back into the government. She is proving to be a wise choice on McCain’s behalf in gaining the very important Christian vote, something that carried President Bush in both campaigns. Palin isn’t just one of those safe, left-wing "religious" types, but a real, God-fearing, Bible-reading conservative Christian.

A member of the Juneau Christian Center, Palin attends church regularly because of faith and personal conviction, and a personal belief in Jesus Christ. Palin is also involved with other Christian organizations, such as Hobby Lobby, Eagle Forum, Focus on the Family, Feminists For Life, Campus Crusade for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Concerned Women for America, Bearing Fruit Communications, Athletes in Action, Military Religious Freedom Foundation and Chi Alpha.

A strong conservative, Palin has a reputation for standing up for what is right and fighting corruption. In one of the largest energy-conscious states, her extensive experience on the energy topic is highly vaulable, and Palin has the potential to refocus attention on the issue of reform – she is what Obama just pretends to be. 

McCain’s decision offers a ray of hope for Palin to capture a handful of Hillary Clinton’s female fans, providing a strong, empowered female leader to bitter Clinton voters. She also offers a subtle shot at appealing to the Democratic blue-collar votes, a former beauty queen and star athlete who knows the ins and outs on a commercial fishing boat, hunts moose, and is married to a champion snowmobile racer.

Obama’s camp immediately met McCain’s annoucement with ridicule on Palin’s inexperience, coming from a town of barely 9,000 people and zero foreign policy experience. It took no time for others to point out that Palin’s executive experience far exceeded Senator Obama’s. As Rudy Giuliani spoke out, "She’s vetoed legislation, she’s taken on corruption in her party and won. She took on the oil companies and won. She administered a budget successfully." Senator Obama, on the other hand, has "never run a city, he’s never run a state, he’s never run a business, he’s never administered a payroll, he’s never led people in crisis."

What do you think about Palin? Was she the best choice for McCain?