Watch out for the loose cannon, the gun-toting hockey mom from Alaska, warns Anayat Durrani Outside the state of Alaska, Sarah Palin was virtually unheard of prior to her speech at the Republican National Convention. What a difference a day makes. With her acceptance speech becoming the first female Republican vice- presidential nominee (the first to run for vice- president as a Democrat was Geraldine Ferraro in 1984), Palin catapulted onto the national political stage and onto the cover of magazines. "We are expected to govern with integrity, good will, clear convictions, and a servant's heart," said Palin at the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. "I pledge to all Americans that I will carry myself in this spirit as vice- president of the United States." Palin, 44, was mayor of Wasilla, population 6,500, and has served as Alaska's governor for less than two years. At the convention, Palin described herself as "just your average hockey mom who signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids' public education better." Michael Mezey, professor of political science at DePaul University, Illinois, called the selection of Palin one that was "designed to satisfy the religious right of the Republican Party, a faction of the party that always has been less than enthusiastic about McCain." Evangelicals and other social conservatives have enthusiastically received Palin. In order for McCain to win in November, Mezey said, he will need a large voter turnout from this group. McCain's choice of Palin as vice- president is directed at women and blue-collar American voters. During Palin's acceptance speech, she talked about her five children and her husband Todd Palin, an oil production operator on Alaska's North Slope. Palin described her husband as a proud union member and "champion snow machine racer". She talked about her infant son Trig who was born in April with Downs Syndrome saying she would be a strong advocate in the White House for children with special needs. She also talked about her 19-year-old son, Track, a soldier who was scheduled to deploy to Iraq 11 September. "I'm just one of many moms who will say an extra prayer each night for our sons and daughters going into harm's way." Palin praised Senator John McCain as "a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight." She described herself and her family as ordinary Americans and characterised herself as "not a member of the permanent political establishment." Addressing the media and their criticism of her lack of experience, she said she was not going to Washington to "seek their good opinion" but rather to "serve the people of this country." Palin served two terms on the Wasilla, Alaska city council, from 1992 to 1996. She won two terms as mayor of Wasilla from 1996 to 2002. In 2002, she sought the first Republican nomination for lieutenant governor but was defeated. From 2003-2004 she chaired and served as ethics supervisor at the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. In November 2006, Palin was elected governor of Alaska and became the first woman and youngest person to fill the position. Palin holds a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho. Mezey believes McCain's selection of Palin has the potential to create problems for the Democrats. He said Republicans will characterise any criticism of Palin as sexist. "When members of the media as well as Democrats questioned her experience and level of preparation, these questions were called sexist," said Mezey. "One reason why Obama selected Biden as his candidate for vice-president was his ability to be a tough debater. In the vice- presidential debate, Biden will need to be very careful not to come off as either patronising or sexist, a difficult task given the fact that the Republicans are characterising any criticisms of her as either patronising or sexist." On the negative side, Mezey said McCain's choice in Palin may be questioned by independents and moderate Republicans. Palin is a former high school basketball star, cross-country runner, beauty queen, and self-described "hockey mom". Palin is against abortion, including cases of incest or rape. She's a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association who hunts, fishes and is a regular churchgoer. "Her extreme positions on abortion and religious issues combined with her startling lack of credentials, especially given the fact that McCain is 72 and has had health problems, will give pause to many," said Mezey. At age 72, Senator McCain is the oldest man to seek election to the White House. Given his age and health, some have questions regarding his choice of Palin, who as vice-president is second in command. McCain said he chose the relatively unknown Palin for her "outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies" and her ability to reach out to Democrats, Republicans and independents to serve in government. "Others will recognise that if McCain wished to have a woman on the ticket there are many Republican women eminently more qualified than Palin; Senator Hutchinson from Texas, Senator Dole from North Carolina, Condi Rice. The selection of Palin will call McCain's judgement into question." Palin co-wrote her convention speech with Matthew Scully, who has written for McCain and for President Bush. The Obama campaign called the speech well presented. However, they noted it was penned "by George Bush's speechwriter and sounds exactly like the same divisive, partisan attacks we've heard from George Bush for the last eight years," the campaign said in a statement. Much media coverage of Palin has centred on her 17-year-old daughter's pregnancy. Palin has also been the subject of an ethics investigation involving the firing of the state's public safety commissioner, allegedly because he would not dismiss a state trooper who is Palin's former brother-in-law. She was endorsed in an ad by Senator Ted Stevens who is now under indictment in a Republican corruption scandal. "The impact of the background issues: her daughter's pregnancy, the on-going investigation of her possible abuse of power in Alaska, her connection with indicted Republican Senator Ted Stevens will serve as a distraction," said Mezey. "This could hurt the McCain campaign because it may be all that the media will be talking about, but it also could help by shifting the campaign commentary away from the economic issues and away from President Bush, the areas where McCain is weakest and Obama is strongest." After her controversial ABC interview last week, where she talked about waging war on Russia, Palin's next nationally televised appearance will be at the 2 October debate with Democratic vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden at Washington University in St Louis.
