Aside from the obvious, Sarah Palin also brings energy to the GOP ticket--and I don't just mean in the sense of having more verve than her twice-her-age (more or less) running mate.
And I also don't mean it in the sense of bringing energy to a moribund conservative base of the Republican Party.
Rather I mean energy in the sense of oil, gas, etc. etc. The only issue on which John McCain and the GOP currently get any traction against Obama (especially with the experience issue off the table). McCain has not yet come out in favor of opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge though he has advocated for drilling everywhere else, and now. And certainly having her on the ticket nods in the direction of he'll get to drilling ANWR sooner or later.
And that's the third part of the Palin triple-play (the first being her vast experience being a woman and the second being the fact that she's the one Republican left in Alaska who has not been indicted--she's merely under investigation): She is firmly in the 'Drilling now, drilling tomorrow, drilling forever!' section of the GOP and will reinforce McCain's one winning issue (even if she, ahem, undercuts other parts of his electoral argument).
Since Obama lacks experience, I'm glad he chose Biden with his foreign policy experience. However, recent actions and speeches from Russia, Iran and Venezuela make it clear that for the next president, foreign policy is going to be highly dependent upon ENERGY policy. Thank goodness McCain tapped a Governor who has more knowledge and experience in energy politics than any of the all-talk/no-action beltway crowd.
Whether Washington takes her seriously or not, I'm sure that Putin, Chavez and Ahmadinejad will treat Palin with respect. She is not afraid to play political hardball when necessary. Look at the foreign leaders who know how to play energy politics and you'll see the ones who really run the world. Palin is no lightweight.
Democrats are asking for trouble if they insult Palin's small state/small town experience. Small town America will determine this election.
Insulting the Bible-totin, gun-lovin, bitter Pennsylvanians, Buckeyes and Michiganders will not make Obama POTUS.
REMEMBER... Palin's experience matters - ENERGY POLITICS ALWAYS MATTER.