As many of you have probably heard by now, this morning John McCain announced that Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin will be his vice-presidential running mate. A surprising and unexpected choice, Palin is now officially the first female vice-presidential candidate for the Republican Party.

Between Hilary Clinton and now Palin, it’s great to see strong, opinionated women finally becoming major players in politics this election season for both main parties. The two women have very different political views, and it’s interesting to consider how this will affect support for Palin since Hilary had such a strong female backing, especially among older women.

For example, one issue that the media has highlighted is Palin’s view on abortion. While Clinton is pro-choice, Palin is anti-abortion.

Given Palin and Clinton’s different political views, do you think that Palin will be able to gain any of the female support that Clinton had based purely on her gender despite their different political views? What do you know about Sarah Palin? How do you feel about McCain's choice?