Palin dissed veep job  —  If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin got the job as running mate for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), count her as one of the most surprised.  —  In an interview just a month ago, she dissed the job, saying it didn't seem “productive.”  —  In fact, she said she doesn't know what the vice president does.

Gallup Daily: Obama Stretches Lead to 8 Points  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking finds Barack Obama moving to an eight percentage point lead over John McCain, 49% to 41%.  —  Obama's significant lead over McCain almost certainly reflects the effects of the Democratic National Convention.

Cold Water on Palin  —  Both the pros and the cons are pretty obvious.  I'm going to focus on the cons, mostly because conservatives right now seem to be paying them less attention.  —  The pros: She's a pro-life conservative reformer from outside Washington, and a woman.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin Is McCain's VP Pick: Source  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a self-styled “hockey mom” who has only been governor for a little over a year, is GOP Presidential candidate John McCain's choice for Vice President, CNBC has learned.  —  According to a Republican strategist …

Sarah Palin, Buchananite  —  Very quickly.  Remember when Pat Buchanan ran a number of hard-right, fringe campaigns for president in the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000?  Well, guess who was supporting him:  —  From an AP report in 1999: … In fact, [a very committed Buchananite] …

PALIN A HUGE HIT AT THE CLINTON FORUM.— You would not believe how the Sarah Palin pick is playing out at the Hillary Clinton Forum (tip to a VC commenter).  In order, these are all the posts on the first (and only) page I've looked at (page 8 of the Palin thread; this link may not point to exactly the same posts).

Analysis: Palin's age, inexperience rival Obama's  —  Featured Topics: - John McCain - Barack Obama  —  DENVER - John McCain's risky choice of Gov. Sarah Palin gives him a running mate who doubles down on his maverick image, may appeal to “hockey moms” and other women, and counters Barack Obama's aura of new-generation change.

McCain Chooses Palin as Running Mate  —  DAYTON, Ohio — In a surprise move, Senator John McCain chose Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate on Friday, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters …

An Astonishingly Arrogant V.P. Selection  —  It may be John McCain's birthday, but it seems like he's the one giving out gifts today.  The selection of Palin doesn't simply, as others have pointed out, undermine the notion that Obama is too inexperienced to be president …

Rahm: ‘Panic’  —  Rahm Emanuel piles on: … As a reader points out, this is a pick that pumps up both sides.  Democrats genuinely see it as a sign of panic.  Republicans are thrilled that McCain picked a real conservative, with a compelling story and a real presences besides.

I'll See Your Biden and Raise You a Palin  —  Yesterday I argued that picking a woman for veep would help re-establish McCain's reputation as a maverick.  If the pick is indeed Sarah Palin you are going to have a lot of women voters wondering why Senator Obama didn't tap Senator Clinton as his running mate.

Did Palin Really Fight The “Bridge To Nowhere”?  —  Republicans have been heavily touting Sarah Palin's reformist credentials, with her supposed opposition to Alaska's “Bridge to Nowhere” as Exhibit A. But how hard did she really fight the project?  Not very, it seems.

Obama distances himself from “hair-trigger” campaign criticism  —  At a stop in Monaca, Pa., Barack Obama seemed to distance himself from his campaign's first, harshly critical response to the Palin pick.  —  “I think that, uh, you know, campaigns start getting these, uh, hair triggers and …

Why McCain Picked Palin  —  John McCain needs to persuade swing voters that he's willing to take on the Republican establishment.  He needs to persuade conservatives that he isn't squishy about social issues.  And he needs to close the gender gap.  When you think about it …

60 Days To Judge a Commander in Chief?  —  I'm going to be very blunt, here.  I wish Senator McCain a very long and happy life.  But, at age 72 with a history of cancer, John McCain may not live through his first term, if elected.  That would make Sarah Palin our Commander in Chief.