The more I read, the better the choice seems on many levels. As for not meeting her in person many times, so what? You forget, McCain is a Senator. SOP for them is to have staff put together options, and they pick. From everything I've read since yesterday, the first impression most people have of Palin is that she's great. If you've been well briefed on her and her background by your VP vetters, and she wows you on the first meeting... executive decisions sometimes have to be made like that, nice to see he can do that without having to poll for 3 weeks to find out what he thinks.
She locks the conservative base, and energizes them. This secures the Rove electoral strategy that we know works, but only barely (2000, 2004). McCain still has his crossover appeal (uniquely for a Republican), and can get some of the more moderate dems. Her anti-corruption background doesn't hurt. Biden is an attack dog, but in a VP debate, if he attacks hard he'll look mean (sexism double standard, but the right has to avoid being called racist every time they disagree with Obama, too, which is BS)—if she beats him up, Biden looks worse (getting beat up by a girl). She's nothing if not telegenic, too. While she's very conservative, he personal story about not aborting (either with amnio data, or choosing to go against standard of care for a 40+ YO mom and not get amnio) he Downs Syndrome kid is compelling, and something rational women can at least understand, even if they disagree. Attacking her experience is dangerous ground given the top of the Dem ticket's even lower level of experience.
She's a home run for McCain, IMO. VP rarely helps the ticket, but can hurt. She certainly does no harm, and IMO helps him politically.
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