Question: A presidential candidate in the U.S. chooses his own running mate (the vice-presidential candidate) and although the person chosen does not typically have a major impact on the election, the decision itself is scrutinized for insights into the candidate's leadership style. This was particularly true in 2008, when John McCain chose Sarah Palin. Senator McCain's decision astonished almost everyone; Palin was a little-known governor in Alaska and not on any pundit's short list of candidates. As a woman, Palin could appeal to female voters. At the same time, although evangelicals and social conservatives were wary of McCain and his politics, Palin was a down-to-earth "hockey mom" who energized this central base of the Republican Party. In these ways, McCain's choice was shrewd. As much as Palin complemented McCain, his decision entailed considerable risk.

For example, by choosing Palin, McCain appeared to be contradicting one of his central arguments against his opponent Barack Obama, that Obama did not have the necessary experience to be president, particularly in foreign policy. While McCain repeatedly attacked Obama's lack of experience, he also repeatedly claimed that his running mate had the qualifications to step into the role of commander-in-chief immediately. The extent of Palin's foreign policy experience was famously summed up by her statement that one could see Russia from Alaska. Not a comforting endorsement for being one heartbeat away from the president! Choosing Palin as his running mate certainly raised questions about McCain's judgment. Of course, at the time McCain chose Palin, he could not know exactly what effect the choice would have on his candidacy. But it is clear that, although the effect might be positive in some ways, if the negative effect turned out to be greater than expected, his chance of winning the election could be greatly reduced.

Questions: 1. What do you think were the objectives of Senator McCain in choosing his vice-presidential running mate?

2. At 72, McCain would have been the oldest first-term president in U.S. history. In addition, he had had several bouts with the most serious form of skin cancer. How do you think these facts might have affected McCain's thinking about whom to choose as a running mate?

3. McCain described himself as a maverick and was known to have a quick temper and to be somewhat unpredictable in his politics. Although McCain's popularity stemmed partly from his independent streak, his choice of Palin sent a message that when making hard decisions, he might follow his gut as opposed to a more reasoned and well-thought-out analysis. What kinds of decisions might a president have to make based on his gut or intuition, and which ones might benefit from careful thought and analysis?

4. A central theme of McCain's campaign was to put "country first" above political considerations. Do you think McCain's choice of Sarah Palin reflects the objective of putting the country first over politics? Why or why not?