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Wow! What a shrewd move on Sen. McCain's part! He has just accomplished in one bold swipe what the Democratic party has just failed miserably trying to do- create a ticket that can electrify and unify the party and boost support for a run to the White House. I may disagree with most Sen. McCain's ideas, and I am not a fan of his, but I have to admit that he and his staff have pulled off a masterful coup. I must admit that before today, I had pretty much written off the Republican Party as a total loss. By choosing Gov. Palin as his VP candidate, Sen. McCain (off all people!) has caused me to wake up and pay closer attention to what is going on.

The irony alone of Sen. McCain's choice is delicious. Follow along:

Senator Obama, running on the platform of being a Beltway "outsider," nevertheless picks one of the most notorious Beltway insiders to be his VP, publicly clotheshangs a popular female candidate, and exacerbates the division within his party in the process. Of even greater import is that Sen. Obama has never even been mayor of so much as an unincorporated hamlet, and yet he wants to become the most powerful man in the free world.

On the other hand: Sen. McCain, accused of being a Beltway insider (hard to argue that point) reaches over the crowd of established (and jaded) GOP old guard -who are viewed with distrust and even contempt by most Republicans and Americans after the Great Elephant Sellout of 2005- and plucks a ripe plum from the outer fringes of the orchard.

And two things are particularly striking about this choice: (1)Gov. Palin is decidedly NOT a Beltway insider; (2)Gov. Palin has far more executive leadership experience than Barack Obama has. Of much less material consequence, yet compounding the irony, is the fact that Gov. Palin also happens to be a woman. And did I mention that Gov. Palin is a conservative? Did I also not yet mention that Gov. Palin has accomplished what our Congress refuses to do- pushing ahead with opening up petroleum (natural gas) production and transportation?

Anyone- from either side of the aisle- who harps on Gov, Palin's "inexperience" forgets the fact that the Se, Obama has (1)Never even been a mayor of anything; and (2)Never governed aybody. And I would add that Gov. Palin has probably accomplished more to the benefit of her constituents that Sen. Obama has for his own.

The Democrats' and the dinosaur media's spin on this will be interesting- but predictable. And because Gov. Palin is a Republican, no feminist organization will come to her defense. (In fact, I'll bet breakfast that at least once before the end of this month some feminist group will call Gov. Palin a "traitor to the cause." Any takers?)

Get out the popcorn- this is getting exciting.