Clarion Content

Whatever else you might think of John McCain's choice for Vice-President, do not forget that picking Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska was a play for the southern Christian vote.

As the Clarion reads the tea leaves, the only way McCain loses the electoral math on election night is if somehow the solid south starts to slip from under him. Virginia, North Carolina and conceivably even, South Carolina are poised to flip into the blue column.

With that math in mind the veep choice war room might have gone something like this: McCain, an honest to goodness maverick, wanted to reclaim that mantle. Somebody on the inside of his campaign said, "Senator, you know, you could do the maverick thing, and the southern evangelical vote in one fell swoop. Sarah Palin."

There may have been one or two other factors. And it may have taken a little longer depending on how much, or how little, one believes they vetted her.

But as for the ticket power she brings, no less of a heavyweight than Richard Land was calling for her selection in a CBSNews.com interview. Who is Land you say? Well in addition to being a prolific author, a Princeton and an Oxford graduate, Land hosts two nationally syndicated radio programs "For Faith & Family" and "For Faith & Family's Insight."

Here's what the Washington Post's David Waters has Land saying about Palin in the CBSNews.com interview, "I think that the vice presidential choice that John McCain makes is probably the most important choice he's going to make in this entire campaign. Because he has no room for error, no margin for doubt. If he picks a pro-choice running mate, it will confirm the unease and the mistrust that some evangelicals--and don't forget this, social conservative Catholics--feel about McCain."

Land continues on the his preference for the veep choice, "Probably Governor (Sarah) Palin of Alaska, because she's a person of strong faith. She just had her fifth child, a Downs Syndrome child. And there's a wonderful quote that she gave about her baby, and the fact that she would never, ever consider having an abortion just because her child had Downs Syndrome. She's strongly pro-life."

"She's a virtual lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. She would ring so many bells. And I just think it would help with independents because she's a woman. She's a reform Governor."

The Clarion is not sure where we stand on Governor Palin yet, but we wanted to note for you you, dear readers, who wanted her selection. Whether it was a shrewd political move is also unclear at this juncture. It may help McCain with certain demographics and voter turnout issues.

Labels: 2008 presidential election, Politics