Your faithful correspondent, having decamped Denver early this morning, was in the air when the Republican presidential nominee surprised everyone by choosing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. I’m at the Charlotte, N.C. airport right now (saving the company money with an indirect flight!), and my plane is about to board, so I’ll give a half a dozen of my initial thoughts quickly—genuine blogger style—although I don't have time to include links. Please forgive any misspellings and such.

Thought One: I guess John McCain wasn’t kidding when he told Pastor Rick Warren a couple of weeks ago that he was a total right-to-life guy. Gov. Palin is a hundred-percenter on this issue, a real darling of cultural conservatives.

Thought Two: Maybe Johnny Mac doesn’t care about abortion much one way or the other—he also weighed pro-choicer Joe Lieberman and, reportedly, considered former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who also supports legalized abortion. In other words, he chose Palin for other reasons, such as: she's a Washington outsider; she has executive experience (unlike Obama and Biden--and McCain himself); she's an interesting, competent, mother of five, etc....

Thought Three: She’s a woman! That’s the reason he picked her. Will disaffected Hillary Clinton voters flock to her? It seems doubtful after the four-day Democratic love-fest in Denver, but it’s possible, I suppose.

Thought  Four: New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro, the first female veep candidate, didn’t carry her own congressional district for Walter Mondale in 1984—when Ronald Reagan won 49 states.

Thought Five: McCain was going to carry Alaska, along with its miniscule three electoral votes, regardless of whom he chose. So picking Sarah Palin does not help him in the Electoral College. At all.

Thought Six:  Loose Cannon already loves Palin’s dad, Chuck Heath. Here are a couple of his quotes upon hearing the news today: “Holy cow, I’m just kind of speechless on the whole thing.”

 And: “I’d rather go moose hunting than be involved with politics.”

He sounds like a smart man.