10 Reasons Sarah Palin Is a Genius Choice for VP

When I heard McCain introducing Sarah Palin on the radio today, I cried. I had no idea that it would be such a big deal to me to have a woman chosen by my beloved GOP, but apparently it was. I am so proud of women like Palin and Condoleeza Rice - women who have pulled off femininity and feminism at the same time.

I know I will think of more reasons later, but this is a good start. And there's no particular order to these.

1. Sarah Palin didn't wind up in politics because of a carefully-lived resume. She makes me think of Esther and all that "for such a time as this" language. Not that it's bad to wind up in politics on purpose from the getgo, but that it means she doesn't think like Washington-fashioned politicians.

2. Palin comes to us from a working class background, and was a hockey mom and basketball coach before she was in politics at all. She understands firsthand the interests and concerns of many, many Americans.

3. Palin is spunky, bold, and eloquent - if you haven't heard/seen her acceptance speech from this morning, GO DO IT.

4. Palin knows the oil business and the people in it. She's dedicated to American energy independence.

5. Palin is young, smart, and ready for a challenge - which I'm sure is much of the reason that McCain has chosen her to run with him. He wants to nurture his successor, and I think he couldn't have chosen better.

6. Palin is a mother.
6a. She is the mother of a soldier. Talk about someone who will have our troops in mind when she makes decisions!
6b. She is the mother of a child with Down Syndrome. I personally feel that a person like her has a lot of valuable, weighty things to say about abortion, embryonic stem cell research, etc.
6c. She is the mother of five, which usually seems to mean a person is hopeful about the world.

7. Palin is a woman, and she's not afraid of it. She wore a skirt today. She's proud of and respectful toward her husband. She brags about being a "hockey mom." I'm a big fan of politicians being comfortable with who they are and acting from that, instead of constantly attempting to compensate for what they are not.

8. Palin roots out bad stuff where she finds it, despite party politics or other such things. We need people of notable integrity in public office, and she's got it.

9. Palin is prolife, progun, profamily, protroops, and proAmerica. And she's anti gay marriage. To name a few notable issues.

10. Palin is a hunter, a fisher, and an athelete. She seems like a real person. Rather shockingly real.