It seems everyone at NRO has been getting happy e-mails from readers since Palin is picked. Perhaps because of this piece, I’ve become something of an Ambassador to Hillaryland, and the ones who read me are pretty impressed with her, too. Obviously, Hillary supporters who read NRO are a self-selecting sample, but here’s some of the responses coming in…

From a New York reader:

Hi, Jim. I’m one of your readers who is a Clinton-supporter and I was still sitting on the fence as of this morning… but now… now things are getting interesting! Clinton’s speech on Tuesday night had made me consider voting for Obama, but Obama’s speech last night convinced me that I don’t want to. I was assuming McCain would pick someone safe and boring — but he hit it out of the park today! Talk about shaking things up! She seems terrific — the sharpest of the four — and will complement McCain’s wisdom with energy and passion. I don’t even mind that I disagree with most of her positions — she’s a real person, and she seems to have heart. She seems to be in politics to help people and to change things, not just to get to the next higher office!Clinton would have given me hope for the future. Obama, the “Hope” candidate, fills me with dread. Now I’ve got some hope again — maybe we can really can see some change in this country. And with this choice, McCain’s stock went up enormously in my book (in the same way Obama’s went further down when he picked Biden over Hillary Clinton). Talk about good judgment — McCain could have played it safe like Obama, but he was bold and historic — he IS a maverick. Bravo, McCain!

#more#

One that arrived Sunday:

I cannot tell you how upset I am while listening to these misogynists on TV talk about Governor Sarah Palin. I am about to blow! Suddenly, she isn’t qualified. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Mark Christ, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, etc. were all eminently qualified according to these same people…I will do everything I can to get this woman elected. So will my twin sister, who was a Hillary delegate in Texas. And we have NEVER agreed on anything political!

One reader objected to the way the media was defining “feminist”:

At the outset, let me note that I am THRILLED that McCain picked Palin. But, I’m extremely disappointed in the media coverage and the assertions that feminists won’t support her. Such statements show a total misunderstanding of what a feminist truly is.
In the mid 1990s, Christine Hoff Sommers (a Democrat) wrote Who Stole Feminism? She opines, and I believe correctly so, that there are two types of feminists–equity feminists, who want women treated equally, and gender feminists, who basically dislike the other gender and always claim victim status. I am one of the former–I want to be treated equally and judged on merit, not on my gender. I am also pro-choice (not pro-abortion, but pro-choice). And, I have always been a Republican. I think Palin was a perfect choice. She had made it on her own–not because she is a woman and not by claiming victim status. She was judged on her merits and has basically lived the American dream. I am also greatly impressed by her decision to remain pro-life in light of the information that her fetus had Down syndrome. She was allowed to make her choice and she stood by her principles.
The gender feminists who supported Hillary would never vote for McCain–regardless of who his VP selection turned out to be. Likewise, there are pro-life women who would never vote for Obama, whether or not he picked Hillary. But, there are a great number of women, equity feminists, who will be proud of the choice that Palin made and be proud that she made it–and not because of her sex. I think those females, whether Republican or independent, will turn out in great numbers because of McCain’s choice of Palin.

The McCain camp was spotlighting these responses from Team Hillary:

Geraldine Ferraro: “I have to tell you, I got a phone call from my family too, and my daughter — the immediate thing was, ‘Wow! McCain picked a woman.’ I thought it was stunning when it happened, because it is so historic. The other thing I must say this is the first time that anybody who is in a national position, has publicly thanked me in 24 years.” (FOX’s “Fox & Friends,” 8/30/08)Former Hillary Clinton Campaign Adviser Ann Lewis: “Well, first, the John McCain campaign definitely served notice that they intend to compete hard for the support of women voters. Of course, I appreciate the reference to Hillary Clinton, who did such a magnificent job in her campaign.” (CNN, 8/29/08)
Former Clinton Adviser Howard Wolfson: With Palin Pick, “You Are Going To Have A Lot Of Women Voters Wondering Why Senator Obama Didn’t Tap Senator Clinton As His Running Mate.” “To that end, consider the immediate reaction of Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson, who writes today in a short piece titled ‘I’ll See Your Biden and Raise You a Palin,’ that ‘you are going to have a lot of women voters wondering why Senator Obama didn’t tap Senator Clinton as his running mate.’” (Jake Tapper, “A White Shade Of Palin,” ABC News, 8/29/08)

One reader predicted more comments from Obama and Biden that will be interpreted as sexism:

He’s not going to be able to help himself. The petty [initial] response stands in stark contrast to McCain’s gracious ad that ran last night.Frankly, if Hillary’s supporters were paying attention during Obama’s speech, they ought to be even more angry. His statement that Hillary is inspiring to “my daughters and to yours” was, in my opinion, an insult. What does that mean exactly? That a woman making a serious run at the presidency isn’t as significant as an African-American making the same run? That a woman can’t inspire men? That only little girls could find Hillary inspiring?
I loathe identity politics but can’t deny the historical significance of Hillary’s run.
He’s been condescending and patronizing to Hillary and her supporters throughout the campaign. Combined with his underpayment of female staffers and the “sweetie” incident, I don’t see how any but the most rabid of single issue abortion rights feminists can vote for him. So I’m not sure he’ll lock up the PUMAs, now that Palin is in the mix.

Not every Hillary backer was on board to vote McCain-Palin, obviously:

I supported Hillary in the primaries and voted for her in SC. I thought she got a really raw deal from the press and to a lesser extent from Obama. I’m a die hard liberal and plan to vote for Obama though. I was excited when I saw that McCain was picking a woman — I just said to my husband last night while watching Obama that I guessed I never would see a woman give that speech. (I’m 40).Having said all that, are you kidding me? I might have given McCain a second look if he had picked Kay Bailey Hutchinson (who I voted for a long time ago when I lived in Texas and she first ran there) or Christie Todd Whitman. But this lady? Talking about running for the PTO? Is she running for city council? Hillary Clinton has more gravitas in her little toe than this lady. If McCain thinks that women are so shallow that we are willing to vote for a woman just because she is a woman, he is going to have a rude awakening.
The same way that African American voters never voted in huge numbers for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton or Alan Keyes, women are not going to vote for Sarah Palin. We want a qualified woman to run.
BTW, I will give her props for having a Down Syndrome baby. I don’t agree with her on abortion, but she at least lives up to her convictions.

The thing is, McCain doesn’t need all the Hillary voters and PUMAs. He just needs… enough.