God-o-Meter just hung up with Connie Mackey, senior vice president of Family Research Council Action, who is absolutely thrilled at McCain picking Palin.
She was also totally stunned.
I know that a bunch of conservatives had pushed her name, but with sincere doubts that it would happen. Needless to say I’m surpised and thrilled.
Mackey worked for Pat Buchanan’s 1996 Republican campaign, when Palin was a big Alaska Buchananite. “That gives me double assurance that we’ve got a good person,” Mackey says.

Mackey was assured still further about McCain by her time spent this week in St. Paul, where the Republican Party adopted what she calls the most conservative platform ever on issues like abortion and embryonic stem cell research (the proposed platform includes a total ban).
“You know how politics works–you don’t usually get it all,” Mackey said, her smile nearly visible through the phone.
Finally, after countless stumbles, McCain has hit it out of the park with the conservative Christian establishment.

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