The Palins and McCains Talk With People Magazine

‘PEOPLE' EXCLUSIVE: PHOTOS & FIRST INTERVIEW WITH JOHN MCCAIN & SARAH PALIN -- ALONG WITH THEIR FAMILIES

(NEW YORK) -- In an exclusive interview, PEOPLE went backstage with the new Republican ticket, Sen. John McCain and Gov. Sarah Palin, and their families to talk about Palin's readiness for the job, the challenges of juggling a high-powered job with the needs of five children -- including an infant with Down Syndrome and a son in the Army about to head off to war in Iraq -- and the campaign's attempt to give Hillary Clinton voters one more chance to shatter the glass ceiling.

"It's Girl Power!" enthused Meghan McCain, who learned of her father's top-secret pick only a few hours before the rest of the nation on Friday morning. "It's my dream choice," she told PEOPLE.

Below is an excerpt from the interview. You can find full story on People.com shortly.

On appealing to Hillary Clinton supporters: "Certainly in this election cycle, women are not finished yet. And women can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all," says Gov. Palin.

Sen. McCain: “I think that Sarah appeals to a lot of voters—I think because of her independence, because of her reform agenda and her record of balancing both family and service, is motivation to not just Clinton voters but to lots of voters.”

On what some are calling Gov. Palin's “short” resume, relative youth and readiness to be president, compared with Sen. Barack Obama:
“I don't think it's a short resume. She first ran for office back in 1992. I don't know what Senator Obama was doing then, but the first time she ran was 1992. That's 16 years. I think that's a pretty, pretty event-filled and record-filled resume.
Interjects Gov. Palin: “I haven't had too many years other than that to fill up yet.”

So does she feel ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? “Absolutely. Yup, yup. Especially with a good team around us.”

On whether she'll be able to balance the vice-presidency with her family's needs: “She's heard that her whole life—the challenges of being a female mother in the work force,” says the governor's husband, Todd Palin. “I remember the first time she ran for mayor on of her fellow council members told her you can't run for mayor because you've got three negatives: Track, Bristol and Willow. Those are the three kids we had at the time. So, when you tell her that kind of stuff, she just gets fired up. We're an Alaska family that adapts.”

Gov. Palin, who is still nursing her son, tells PEOPLE she's used to multi-tasking: “What I've had to do, though, is in the middle of the night, put down the Blackberries and pick up the breast pump. Do a couple of things different and still get it all done.”

Adds Sen. McCain's wife, Cindy: “Any woman who's been in a situation where they're working and have children know that you give 300 percent; no one will be slighted in any of this, least of all her baby. She has a lot of energy, she's a woman with great drive and great vision and I think no one's going to suffer in this process. We will all get it done.”