It's official: History will be made!

So today Republican presidential candidate John McCain made a surprising pick for his running mate. Easy money was on Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. However, as an American businessman, it's unlikely Romney would have attracted people that wouldn't have otherwise voted for McCain.

Enter Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska (?!?!??!)

So there you have it. No matter what, the 2008 Presidential Election will mark a "first." For the first time ever, we'll either have a black president or a female vice president. And I couldn't be happier about that.

It's actually pretty discouraging when you think about it. Out of the 43 presidents we've had, every single one of them has been a white, Christian male. In fact, all but one have been Protestant. So its nice that at least one barrier will broken.

This is an exciting election for me personally, because I honestly do like both McCain and Obama quite a lot. While some of you might accuse me of taking the easy route, trust me that's not the case. Nearly all of my friends are HUGE Obama supporters (more than one works for his campaign), so even breaching the subject of possibly voting for McCain is borderline blasphemous (just to give you an indication of the bias, Obama choosing a successful white male as his running mate is "strategic," while McCain picking a female former Union worker is "political").

While I really do like both candidates, at this time, if I was forced to choose, I'd probably vote for McCain. My reason is pretty simple, if completely idiotic: Again, I would be pleased and honored to have either person represent my country, but considering McCain's age, I feel like this is his only chance to serve, whereas Obama has many more opportunities. In an ideal world, McCain can be president now, and Obama in four years. But I'm going to be paying close attention to the debates before I make any decision.

Concerning the prospective vice presidents: I don't know much about Biden, other than that he tends to speak his mind and isn't afraid to say things that might not be very popular. Well, that's one of the things I like about McCain, so in my view that's not a terrible trait. I probably know even less about Palin, but I did hear her speak on television this morning, and she came off as exceptionally likable and charming (unlike that OTHER prominent female politician). I will say, though, that it's a bit curious that McCain would choose somebody with so little experience, when that has been his main criticism of Obama (and considering McCain's age and the fact that he will likely only serve one term, if he's elected, the experience of the V.P. is a very relevant issue).

By the way, I don't think anybody should or shouldn't vote for somebody because of the color of their skin or their gender. I think people should vote for the best candidate. That being said, I can understand how somebody would think that a candidate like them would look out for their best interests. But it honestly depresses me when I hear somebody make a comment about how it was foolish to choose a female vice president, because McCain will lose voters. Or that people wouldn't vote for a black president. It literally makes me depressed. Are there actually people that still think this way? I mean, my skin gets about 10 shades darker over the Summer, does that mean I'm suddenly unqualified for something? It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?

One barrier will be broken following this election. And our country will be better because of it.