Published: September 06, 2008 02:16 am      

Palin: ‘She just came out of nowhere’

Local women still forming opinions about Republican veep candidate

FAIRMONT — Four out of five Marion County women interviewed Friday just don’t know what to think about Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Eight days ago, Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain announced he had chosen Palin as his running mate.

Even in the days before McCain made his choice public, there was next to no mention of the Alaska governor. Only one source close to the GOP called her a “darkhorse candidate” for the No. 2 spot.

Since Palin was chosen just over a week ago, Americans have been broadsided with information about the woman, her career and her family.

Palin, 44, spent two years in the Alaska governor’s mansion after serving time as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

Allegations of Palin being under investigation for abuse of power in her state, her contradictory decisions on the “bridge to nowhere” and the well-publicized pregnancy of her unwed teenage daughter have just mired the public with even more to think about and talk about.

For many West Virginians, Alaska may as well be on the moon. More than 3,000 miles away, most folks had never heard of Palin before last week.

Four Marion County women haven’t heard enough to form an opinion.

Susan Farber said she isn’t sure about the candidate, but she believes Palin presented herself well during her acceptance speech at the GOP convention this week.

“She did a great job, and she’s an asset to McCain,” Farber said.

Danielle Edmond and Debbie Squires said they just don’t know. Both were supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency. With their candidate out of the race, they don’t know whom to support and don’t have much enthusiasm.

“It’s good a woman’s involved,” Edmond said. “I don’t know if America’s ready to have a female vice president, but it’s a good change.”

Squires said she believes choosing a female veep candidate is good for the Republican party, but she doesn’t understand why McCain chose a woman so far out of left field.

“Hillary has a track record; we have no idea about Palin,” Squires said. “We don’t know her; she’s just out of the blue.”

Ruth Ashcraft said the news has happened so fast that she hasn’t had time to make a decision about Palin.

“She just came out of nowhere,” Ashcraft said. “I just don’t know what to think.”

One woman has formed an opinion about Palin because they share the same views.

“I think she’s fabulous,” Kathy Dunn said. “I loved the way she handled the speech; she looked so self-assured.”

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.