How big will 'The Palin Factor' be in '08?

My wife hates politics. I mean hates, not dislikes. She was raised up north in a family of liberal Democrats and is still a registered Democrat. But living with a husband whose conservative political views are somewhere to the right of Atilla the Hun has brought about small changes. Instead of watching CNN, she has gotten into the habit of watching Fox News with me in the evenings. At least she had until this election season kicked into high gear and she confessed to me one evening that she couldn't bear to watch any more news until after the Presidential election.

But then something happened. I can even pinpoint the exact day it happened. It was a Friday afternoon when Sarah Palin was all over the news as John McCain's surprise choice for VP. She was back watching Fox News with me that evening and has been every evening since. In the mornings, while she's getting ready to go to work, she has the TV on with Fox News replaying and updating the news of the previous day.

She told me pre-Palin that she'd had enough of Obama and had decided to vote for McCain. But post-Palin, she has actually gotten interested, excited and enthusiastic in this election. Instead of just being anti-Obama, now she's for McCain-Palin. Really she's for Palin-McCain. And she told me she's really surprised about actually being excited about an election for the first time in her life. And I bet many other women are too.

Not since LBJ pulled young, inexperienced Jack Kennedy's bacon out of the fire in 1960 has a vice-presidential pick been as important as Palin.

Indianapolis talk shot host Greg Garrison says the same thing happened to his wife as he writes about it in Why Sarah Matters -- Sorry, Boys

This beautiful woman represents to women -- and to a lot of their husbands -- all across the country the embodiment of the kind of steadfast commitment and relentless focus on marriage and family that we all revere out here in fly-over country. For those in Middle America whose lives are defined and lived out in the architecture of raising kids, forming and nurturing long-term friendships, and working diligently to keep marriages together, she represents the whole package. And under-girding and enfolding the whole picture is that usually unspoken religious faith that has been the bulwark of the American Republic always. That of course drives the secular humanists at the networks and the New York Times insane -- evidence the petulant and pedantic sneer of a Charlie Gibson when confronted with a woman of faith.

Finally, there is the star factor.

Like the great women of the big screen, this one does some pretty remarkable things -- shooting straight, skinning big game, fishing for a living with her husband in the frigid waters of Alaska’s coast and interior lakes, all while delivering and raising a houseful of energetic kids. But the difference between her and the “stars” is that she can really do these things. And therein lies real stardom.

When the vast majority of voters in the Red States as well as the usually-undecided folk who wait till the last minute to decide see Sarah Palin, they see an authentic American icon -- a hero in the most dramatic sense -- but one whose claim to fame is in never having pursued fame at all.

She is what she is, a wife, mom, PTA member and friend who happened to have been placed in the road of Providence at a time when heroes are in short supply.

Sorry boys, but the best man for the job just turned out to be a woman, and she will indeed make a profound difference this time.

And it ain't just the ladies who are excited about Sarah. Pre-Palin, I was vehemently against Obama and mildly for McCain as the lesser of two weevils. But like my wife, now I'm enthusiastically for Palin-McCain. Now if she can just talk Big John into drilling for oil in ANWAR, we're good.

And poor old Joe Biden! I am really looking forward to the VP debate. I agree with the pundit who predicted: Sarah's gonna gut him like a trout.

Sic 'em Barracuda!