GOP Veep Sweeps

(Newser) - Now that we've seen Sarah Palin interviewed on TV three times, it's clear she could use a little media coaching, Christopher Beam writes for Slate. To figure out how Palin can break out of her "constant low hum of mediocrity," Beam gets tips from media pros. Some highlights: Give details. Don't say the economy requires "a multifaceted solution." Provide examples, one media trainer says. More »

(Newser) - About half of the public had a favorable first impression of vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, and that half consists primarily of Republicans, a new ABC News poll finds. This not-so-shocking divide mirrors the numbers on Joe Biden: his candidacy makes 22% of people more likely to support the Obama ticket and 10% less likely. More »

(Newser) - Pregnancies in 17-year-olds like Bristol Palin are something John McCain and his running mate, her mother, agree on: neither believes the government should support sex education and pregnancy-prevention programs, other than encouraging abstinence, in schools. "The explicit sex-ed programs will not find my support," Sarah Palin wrote in a 2006 questionnaire for gubernatorial candidates. More »

(Newser) - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was a strong contender to be John McCain's running mate all along, his campaign has revealed. Looking to diffuse speculation that Palin was a hasty, last-minute choice, aides told the Washington Pos t that she was high on McCain’s list since their first meeting in February. Advisers also divulged that Cindy McCain played a major role in the veepstakes. More »

(Newser) - Democrats will launch one patronizing strike after another on Sarah Palin in the coming weeks, but make no mistake: Liberals are—and should be—terrified of the GOP veep pick, William Kristol writes in the Weekly Standard . Palin is “a compelling and mold-breaking example for lots of Americans,” with hard-core conservative values and a gripping story that could win the election for John McCain—if his campaign lets her be herself. More »

(Newser) - As a political move, John McCain’s VP choice makes sense: Sarah Palin’s social conservatism should appease the party base, while her “maverick status” and gender may help the ticket win centrist voters and working-class women. But as “bold” and “shrewd” as the choice may be, it’s less “clear that she is a responsible pick, or a wise one,” argues David Frum, the former speech writer for George W. Bush, in the National Post. More »