Bob McCarty Writes

Drudge Report set off a buzz this morning by running a photo of a new campaign sticker (right) showing Republican John McCain side by side with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends program is reporting that a jet carrying “a woman and two teenage boys” arrived at Hook Field near Dayton, Ohio, early this morning.  It just so happens that Palin (pronounced “pay-lin”) has two teenage boys and five kids — including a Down Syndrome child — altogether.

Several sites — here, here and here — are saying Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are all out of the running for the number two spot.

So why should McCain pick Palin?  According to Draft Sarah Palin for Vice President, at least five reasons justify the pick:

1) A energetic, young, fresh face who will energize the electorate;
2) Not connected to the current administration;
3) Pro-Life;
4) Pro-Gun; and
5) A woman or minority to counter Hillary or Obama and put to rest the idea that America only elects white males.

Factor in her executive experience as a governor and she begins to look like a real possibility.  But she doesn’t come without possible pitfalls.

Less than a month ago, The Wall Street Journal reported this:

Now, one of the bright new stars in the Republican Party has suddenly become tarnished. The state legislature this week voted to hire an independent investigator to see whether Ms. Palin abused her office by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as an Alaska state trooper.

If the allegations pan out, they pale in (sounds like “Palin”) comparison to the laundry list of misdeeds committed by the likes of Barack Obama and Joe Biden.  In other words, they shouldn’t have any impact on a McCain-Palin ticket.

McCain is expected to confirm everything at 11 a.m. Central in Dayton, Ohio.

Developing…

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UPDATE 8/29/08 8:53 a.m. Central:  ABC News’ Political Radar blog is reporting that Gov. Palin is watching the fireworks from her home in Wasilla, Alaska.

UPDATE #2 8/29/08 9:37 a.m. Central: Fox News Channel’s Carl Cameron just reported that, indeed, Sarah Palin will appear on stage alongside John McCain as the Republican presidential candidate’s running mate.