"She stands for what a lot of us stand for, that is God, family and country," Wayne Abele, Burke County Commissioners chairman, said of Sarah Palin, John McCain's vice presidential nominee.
On Friday, McCain, in a surprising move, named Palin as his running mate, making her the first woman vice presi-dential candidate for the Republican party.
In 1984, Geraldine Ferraro, a third term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, became the first female vice presidential candidate for a major party when Democratic presidential hopeful Walter Mondale chose her as his running mate.
A relative unknown in national politics, Palin has served as governor of Alaska since 2006, ousting the Republican incumbent and shaking up Alaskan politics.
Abele and Hugh Blackwell, a Republican running for the State House in the 86th district, agree that Palin is an impressive selection.
"I think it's wonderful that he selected such a seemingly well qualified and capable woman to be on the ticket with him," Blackwell said. "She has had executive experience in a number of roles and in leadership roles."
"She and her family have a lot of practical and real world experience in common with the average voter who comes from these kinds of backgrounds," Blackwell said.
Abele was also impressed with her family life and strong pro-life stance.
"At four months, (Palin) knew her son was going to have Down syndrome and (she) still went through the pregnancy," Abele said.
"I'm happy to see a woman on the ticket though," Abele said. "I think that Hillary (Clinton) and Geraldine Ferraro were there too, and (Palin) is a lady who is going to bring it all home."
Political pundits have put forth the idea that McCain chose Palin to win over the bitter and angry women who sup-ported Clinton's run for the Democratic nomination.
"I think (McCain) would be foolish if that didn't factor into his decision," Blackwell said. "It's not picking a woman just to have a woman. It's picking a woman who is well qualified."
Jo Sitton, a supporter of Clinton who is now behind Barack Obama, responded to Palin's selection, "I do think that if (McCain) thinks he's going to get Hillary supporters with her he's very, very mistaken."
"She'll be an addition to the ticket, but not the addition he thinks it is," Sitton said. "The only thing she has in common with Hillary is gender."
Sitton, who just returned as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, C.O., said she isn't wor-ried about McCain's selection of a woman.
"In Denver I saw that Hillary supporters were very much in favor for Obama," Sitton explained.
Abele and Blackwell agreed that a woman on the Republican ticket would not alienate party members.
As for the future of women in politics?
Blackwell said, "It's just a matter of time and finding the right woman whose policy experience and character fit what a majority of the American people are looking for in a president."
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