UVa politicos call selection ‘brilliant’

By Brian McNeill

Published: August 29, 2008

Republican John McCain’s selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was a “brilliant” pick, according to two University of Virginia political scientists.

“It’s a brilliant move by John McCain,” said Paul Freedman, a UVa professor of politics. “Obama and the Democrats had sought to link McCain with Bush and the past. They were trying to cast McCain as the candidate who is ‘more of the same.’ By nominating a woman, McCain breaks out of that mold.”

With McCain’s surprising choice of a dark horse vice presidential candidate, the GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee successfully took the attention away from Democrat Barack Obama’s historic acceptance of his party’s presidential nomination the previous evening, Freedman said.

“He did something that Obama didn’t manage to do — surprise us,” he said. “Good for McCain.”

By picking the 44-year-old Palin, McCain may be aiming to pick up supporters of Hillary Rodham Clinton who are not sold on Obama. Freedman, however, doubts that hardcore Democrats would back a Republican vice presidential candidate who is pro-life, a member of the National Rifle Association and a noted social conservative.

Lynn Sanders, a UVa politics professor and expert on race and gender in politics, also praised McCain’s unexpected VP choice.

“What a brilliant pick,” she said. “I think it’s really hard to see a downside to it.”

Palin is seen as a reformer in Alaska, Sanders said. Palin sponsored an ethics reform package and is best known for putting a stop to the $400 million “bridge to nowhere” that became a symbol of pork barrel spending by Congress. She is also willing to go after corruption among officials from her own political party, reinforcing McCain’s message that he is a reform-minded maverick.

“She’s very appealing,” Sanders said.

An official with Obama’s campaign criticized McCain’s choice, saying Palin is an untested political neophyte who would be “a heartbeat away from the presidency.” McCain turned 72 on Friday. Sanders said that Palin’s inexperience is her greatest weakness, but added that voters are unlikely to be persuaded that her lack of experience is a reason to vote against her.

“This is a ‘change’ year,” she said. “If there was ever a year for a fresh face, this is it.”

Palin’s inexperience, however, neutralizes McCain’s ability to criticize Obama as unready to be president, Sanders said.

Fred Hudson, chairman of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee, said McCain’s selection of Palin will not do anything to tilt Virginia toward the GOP’s ticket. Palin, he said, lacks foreign policy experience.

“Comparing her to Joe Biden, I think our choice is infinitely better,” said Hudson, speaking by cell phone from Denver, where he had been attending the Democratic National Convention. “There’s essentially nothing about that pick that it helpful to them.”

Palin will not lure away Clinton supporters from Obama’s camp, Hudson said. The Democratic convention, he said, has brought the Democrats together.

“Our party is unified,” he said. “People are concerned about the problems facing the United States right now. They want someone who can deliver solutions. I don’t think the Republicans can do that. And in a smaller sense, I don’t think she can deliver those solutions.”

The announcement of McCain’s running mate surprised Albemarle GOP Chairman Christian Schoen-wald, who is coordinating McCain’s campaign in Charlottesville and Albe-marle County.

“I was thinking it was going to be [Mitt] Romney, [Tom] Ridge or [Tim] Pawlenty,” he said. “Pulling this one out was just a brilliant move.”

Schoenwald said he is largely unfamiliar with the candidate who will be his party’s first female vice presidential nominee, but he was excited that McCain went with such an unconventional pick. Schoenwald suspects Palin will be effective in highlighting the issue of oil drilling in Alaska, a key part of the GOP platform.

“What really matters is how would she run the country?” he said. “Obama’s got that rock star quality. We don’t need a rock star. We need a good administrator in office.”