Palin stirs mixed feelings

Fairbanks, Alaska - Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin evoked mixed feelings among voters in her home state in Tuesday's election.

Some cited her as a good reason to back White House hopeful John McCain while others said the governor was not yet ready for the national stage.

Dick Sullivan, a retired state worker, said he liked that Palin hailed from Alaska and was not a seasoned politician.

"She's got gumption. She speaks plain English," he said, before US media pronounced Barack Obama the winner of the 2008 presidential elections.

Amber Cheney, a pharmacist in Fairbanks, said Palin might be new to the political scene but had the ability and the advisers needed to succeed.

"It's true, she's not as experienced as most, but she's a quick study, and she surrounds herself with people who are experienced," she said.

But some voters argued the first-term Alaska governor was simply out of her league in the national arena.

Strategic manoeuvre of the century

"I had this illusion that our political officers were better," said Casey Yordy, a university student in Fairbanks.

Yordy criticised McCain's choice of Palin as a bid to pick up supporters of Obama's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.

"It was kind of the strategic manoeuvre of the century," he said. "It was a weak attempt to ride the Hillary power."

Kara Lyons, another university student, said McCain's pick of Palin made Obama more attractive to her.

"My vote might have changed if she wasn't on the ticket," Lyons said. "She's clueless. She just doesn't seem like she's ready to be VP."

But Will Robinson, a student from the logging town of Wrangell, said he voted for the Republican ticket because he believed Palin would ensure that Alaska's interests were met, he said. "I always think about the state first."

Military voters were split over Palin's candidacy.

'I think it's been great for Alaska'

Nate Frankenberger, a specialist stationed at the Fort Wainwright Army Post in Fairbanks, said he liked that McCain and Palin both had sons serving in the military.

But Nikole Curry, a military spouse, chose Obama because of his promise to get troops out of Iraq. "My husband's in Iraq right now fighting for our country, and I'd like him home," she said. "It's a ridiculous war."

Curry said she thought any security risk posed by Iraq had been eliminated, and it was more important to use limited resources on challenges at home in the United States.

"We took care of the issues and now we're dilly-dallying," she said.

Alaska's lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell, was at the Peanut Farm, a sports bar in Anchorage.

"I think it's been great for Alaska," he said of having an Alaskan on the ticket. "She has been able to put a face to Alaska and bring what we offer to the nation."

Back at the Democratic headquarters, Obama supporter Pam Bradley was less enthusiastic about Palin representing the state on the Republican ticket.

"I hope she didn't use up our 15 minutes of fame," she said. "Alaska's a good place."

Alaska has voted strongly Republican in recent presidential elections, voting 61-36% for Bush in 2004. The state has many more registered Republicans than Democrats (127 000 to 77 000), but more than half of voters are registered non-partisan or undeclared.

- AFP