Some Thoughts on Sarah Palin...

From a friend of mine who has been a long-time resident of Alaska:

She's a good speaker. Has a kind of "Minnesota" speech in her accent. Very charming. She's strong, and can go after an opponent pretty good and still come off classy.

Yeah, she didn't win any points for hitting up the oil companies with an increased tax. Most of the local conservative talk shows demonized her as anti-oil, anti-business development in Alaska.

I think it was misguided, and I think she listened to bad advice from her cabinet members.

I think she has a good heart, and a willingness/drive to do well. She was a popular mayor, and is soaring in popularity with the Alaska voters. It'll be interesting to see what local talk radio has to say now that she's the nominee.

Strategically, I think she'll take votes from the middle-class workers not inspired by Obama's grand entrance last night. Also, the soccer moms, and maybe even ladies who liked Clinton. Ethics won her the Governor's job. She'll be hard to beat there. Politically, many call her a RINO. She's moderate fiscally. I think she looks at big business a little too harshly, but maybe she'll see things differently as she gets more exposure.

Personally conservative, she tends to lean a bit left in political thought.

I'm happy with her. I'll vote McCain.

Likewise, I'm sure, Eric.