Sarah Palin, the surprise selection for the position of Republican nominee, has shot to prominence since she received an unexpected nod from Senator McCain last weekend to serve as his running mate. She brings undoubted talents and excitement to the somewhat staid McCain campaign but will her lack of experience prove a problem?

In a mirror choice to the Democratic party who brought in the experienced Joe Biden to balance the inexperience of Barack Obama at the top of their ticket, the young, gun-totin', pro-hunting, moose meat-eating, pro-life, activist Christian Governor of Alaska has been drafted, at least in part, to balance out Senator McCain's advanced years, add some glitz to the GOP campaign and draw back support from moral conservatives.

In the days since the announcement, she has galvanised the religious right of the Republican party, many of whom had expressed suspicions over Senator's McCain's somewhat chequered record on support for abortion rights and dismissal of moral issues activists as "agents of intolerance". Many of the religious right who had played such a major role in the election of George Bush in 2000 and 2004 were expected to turn their back on the Arizona senator in his run for president.

Indeed something akin to shock had set in amongst moral crusaders recently after news had leaked that McCain was considering choosing a vice presidential running mate who supported a woman's right to choose.

However the rumour was scotched by the choosing of the pro-life Governor and the vital evangelical voter has been greatly bolstered by the choice says this Washington Post report.

Before long TV footage of her in military uniform, firing weapons at a rifle range, inspecting troops from the Alaskan State Guard in Iraq received blanket coverage on U.S. (and world) television screens in vision guaranteed to appeal to conservative voters.

Meantime, at the other end of politics, the Democratic party's approach to Gov. Palin's elevation has been subdued. While fat files had been allegedly compiled on the more likely candidates, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty, the file was wafer-thin on Palin according to press reports.

After the initial shock of the announcement has sunk in -- the Democrats first commercial after the appointment didn't even mention Mrs Palin -- strategy seems to have settled on highlighting the Governor's almost complete lack of experience in foreign policy, an area recently shored up on the Democratic side by the nomination of the highly experienced, if bland, Joe Biden.

Biden has been senator for Delaware since 1973 and during that time has served on numerous foreign policy committees, including his current role as president of the powerful Foreign Relations Committee.

The Democrats though will look to tread softly though as they focus on the 44-year-old Governor's almost complete lack of experience for fear of attracting attention to the weak points of their own top-of-the-ticket candidate's experience in foreign affairs.