McCain picks Palin as surprise VP

By Jeff Mason

DAYTON, Ohio (Reuters) - Republican John McCain made a surprise choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate on Friday, adding a political unknown to the presidential ticket who could help him appeal to women voters.

Palin, 44, a self-described "hockey mom," is a conservative first-term governor of Alaska with strong anti-abortion views, a record of reform and fiscal conservatism and an outsider's perspective on Washington.

"She's exactly who I need. She's exactly who this country needs to help me fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second," McCain told a roaring crowd of 15,000 supporters in Dayton, Ohio.

Palin was chosen over more experienced and better known contenders as the Arizona senator grabbed the spotlight from Democratic rival Barack Obama one day after Obama accepted his party's presidential nomination before 75,000 flag-waving supporters at Denver's football stadium.

"The mission is clear. The next 67 days, I'm going to take our campaign to every part of our country and our message of reform to every voter of every background in every political party or no party at all," said Palin, joined on stage by her husband and family. She has five children ranging in age from 18 years to 5 months.

McCain and Palin will face Obama and his No. 2, Joe Biden, in the November 4 presidential election, with polls showing them running neck-and-neck.

The pick followed days of speculation about McCain's choice, with most of the better-known contenders like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty eliminated over the last 24 hours.

'18 MILLION CRACKS'

Palin, former mayor of the town of Wasilla, is virtually unknown and untested nationally. That could hurt McCain's argument that Obama, 47, a first-term senator from Illinois, is too inexperienced to handle the White House.

Her selection was welcomed by social conservatives who sometimes have appeared reluctant backers of McCain. An opponent of abortion, Palin had her fifth child in April despite a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome.

She could also help McCain appeal to disaffected supporters of Democrat Hillary Clinton, who lost a bruising primary to Obama. Palin noted the achievements of Clinton and Democrat Geraldine Ferraro, who in 1984 became the first woman vice presidential nominee of a major party.

"Hillary left 18 million cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America," she said, referring to the 18 million votes Clinton received in the primaries. "But it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all."

Palin would be the first woman U.S. vice president, adding another historic element to a presidential race that has been filled with firsts. Obama, 47, is the first black nominee of a major U.S. political party.

Palin made her mark as a reformer in a state hit by corruption scandals and could help McCain reinforce his own reform message, but the Alaska legislature has thrown a shadow over her reputation by launching an abuse of power probe.

Palin is accused of firing a highly regarded state public safety commissioner. The official charged he was released for resisting pressure from the governor's office to dismiss Palin's ex-brother-in-law, a state trooper who was involved in a contentious divorce and custody battle with her sister.