Bad Choice?

I am sitting in the student media center watching election results and conversing with my peers about all that is going on. One person just voiced the opinion that Gov. Sarah Palin may have been the risky downfall of Sen. McCain's campaign. I have wondered about that myself during the debates and throughout the campaign since she has been involved. She was always the risky choice, but could she have been the piece of the McCain ticket that made people pause and just reflect on their decision before they touched that box on the screen or checked that box on the paper? She has come out with phrases and mannerisms that rub people the wrong way, and she has been immensely made fun of by a lot of comedians or anyone really that's good at impressions.

She may have become more of a joke than a serious contender. I cannot see her anywhere near 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Maybe we will have another historical race for the next president. Could we see a Hillary Clinton vs. Sarah Palin ballot? I know that's too far in the future and maybe too far ahead of America, but we can see that we are moving toward a more open-mindedness by electing the first black man to be president. 

From what I observed as I watched campaign coverage and debates in groups of people, Gov. Palin had a negative affect on the viewers I was among. Being a somewhat "random" choice from Alaska, which is somewhat a "random" state compared to the rest and using colloquial phrases like "Joe Six Pack," etc. doesn't help the way people perceive you. I'm not sure Gov. Palin did a wonderful job establishing herself as someone you want/need/feel the need to take seriously. But, I don't know if it's a bit far-reaching to say she was the reason that usually Republican voters went for Sen. Obama this time around.