MIDDAY ROUNDUP

John McCain’s surprise running mate selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has conservative bloggers enthused. But Palin, according to liberal bloggers, is even less experienced than Barack Obama and will undercut McCain’s message. Political blogging pundits agree that Palin is a risky, attention-getting pick.

Palin is a pro-life hunter and a reformer who will keep the Republican Party united, writes RedState’s Erick Erickson. Palin is a “principled conservative” and a first-term “reformist” governor who could take away Barack Obama’s monopoly on “change,” writes The Corner’s Mark Levin. The choice of Palin will buttress McCain’s “maverick” image and make women supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) wonder why Obama didn’t pick Clinton as his running mate, writes Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s former campaign spokesman, at The Plank.

Palin, however, was the mayor of a small town just two years ago and is far less qualified than Obama, whose experience has been questioned, writes TalkingPointsMemo’s Josh Marshall. Republicans will rue the pick once people realize that the untested Palin would be first in line to succeed McCain, who would be 72 years old when the next president takes office, writes TalkLeft’s Jeralyn. The selection of Palin is worse than the 1988 selection of then-Sen. Dan Quayle (R-Ind.), who was lambasted as an inexperienced lightweight, writes Daily Kos’s Trapper John.

Palin is a stunning selection who will recalibrate the race but will also face questions about her experience and her role in the firing of state trooper who used to be her brother-in-law, writes The Fix’s Chris Cillizza. Palin, however, has excited Dahlia Lithwick and the other female bloggers at The XX Factor. By picking Palin to appeal to Clinton voters, McCain could end up could furthering women’s standing just as President Ronald Reagan did when he appointed Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court, Lithwick writes.

FROM THE BLOGS:
Epic. Win. – Erick Erickson, RedState
Count Me In With Both Feet – Mark Levin, The Corner
Palin: Change You Can Believe In – Ed Morrissey, Hot Air
An Extraordinary Choice – Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com
Make That 18 Million and One Cracks – Matt Lewis, Townhall
Palin Helps Buttress Maverick Image – H. Wolfson, The Plank
Palin? – Michael Crowley, The Stump
Palin is Less Qualified Than Obama – Josh Marshall, TPM
McCain’s VP Choice Under Investigation – Matt, Think Progress
McCain Just Gave Away the Election – Jeralyn, TalkLeft
Worse Than Quayle – Trapper John, Daily Kos
Palin: Pro and Con – Marc Ambinder
The Palin Stunner – Chris Cillizza, The Fix
It Had to Be You – Dahlia Lithwick, The XX Factor

OTHER NEWS SOURCES:
McCain Chooses Palin as Running Mate – New York Times
Obama Sees No Poll Bounce, Axelrod Says – Bloomberg
McCain’s Veep Choice is Historic and Hardly Known – AP