You re probably right for how a lot of folks vote - male and female - when it comes to the "how attractive" factor. Since John Kennedy, that's been a both-party criteria.

However, I like it when folk come from the mainstream, as opposed to the party "select" list. I'm surprised that the Democratic Party continues to look solely at the party elite and not present candidates "of the people" such as Ms. Palin. The Dems have some great "of the people" potential candidates, (such as Barbara Mikulski, Jack Reed, Jon Tester and Bobby Bright to name a few), yet the Dems keep avoiding folks like them for some reason.

Ms. Palin could have come onto the scene wearing burlap and having a "how attractive" factor akin to Minnie Pearl and still have been a hit. She's the female "Joe, the plumber" and people can identify with her, and see folk like her (and most of us) as similarly qualified for top office as any Ivy Leaguer or any party legacy-type.

We need more like her, from both the major parties, to get back to "of the people."