JUBILANT OCCASION: John McCain formally accepts the Republican presidential nomination
at the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul on September 4

An Alaska governor and political unknown has emerged from obscurity to run for the second highest office in the United States.

When Republican presidential nominee John McCain announced Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate on August 29, she made history as the Republican party's first female vice presidential candidate. McCain surprised political analysts, media and the general public by choosing Palin, 44, over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who were widely considered the most likely choices.

Although Palin's addition to the Republican ticket gave the McCain campaign a desperately needed shot in the arm, Democratic opponents have called it a pander and a political stunt. The 72-year-old senator with 26 years of service in the U.S. Congress picked a running mate who has been governor of Alaska for less than two years. Her political resume before that included two terms each as city councilor and mayor in a town with less than 10,000 people. She has no military or foreign policy experience. McCain met her only six months ago and spoke to her about the position just once over the phone before offering it to her in person.

McCain has made a historic choice, but he is also taking a big gamble. According to Bruce Buchanan, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, McCain made the somewhat risky decision because he understood that he was at an electoral disadvantage. "In that weak position, he must do dramatic things, unusual things to have the chance to win," Buchanan said.

Immediate reactions to the pick were mixed, according to media reports. While some women cheered, many doubted Palin's qualification for the position.

Nevertheless, the announcement of McCain's vice presidential nominee helped divert attention from Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama as the Democratic National Convention concluded.

Nielsen Media Research reported that over 37 million people watched Palin's speech to the Republican National Convention on September 3, almost as many as those who watched Obama's acceptance speech the previous week.

Referring to herself as "just your average hockey mom," Palin introduced her

family, criticized Obama on foreign policy and national security and fought back against her critics in the media. Her performance electrified the convention.

"Governor Palin gave a speech that appealed greatly to the delegates at the convention," said Ruth B. Mandel, Director of the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. "They liked her sense of humor, her personal presentation and her daring and witty attacks on Senator Obama and the Democrats."