Published: September 05, 2008 09:59 am            

Palin’s speech draws mixed reaction

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may have leapt from unknown to Republican rock star in a week’s time, but local reaction to her acceptance speech of the GOP vice presidential nomination Wednesday at the Republican Party Convention in St. Paul, Minn., ranges from ecstatic to lackluster.

Reactions fell firmly within party lines.

“I was really excited and impressed by her speech,” said John Fidler, Johnson County Republican Party chairman. “I like her values and the fact that she comes off as just a regular person, the way she went from a community member to the VP nominee.”

Fidler called Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain’s decision to name Palin as his running mate inspired.

“She’s the best person he could have picked,” Fidler said. “She’s going to rejuvenate the Reagan Republicans who may have been worried about McCain being a moderate Republican.”

Gayle Ledbetter, the Johnson County Democratic Party chairwoman, offered a different take on Palin.

“Oh, she can do a good speech all right,” Ledbetter said. “But it makes me wonder what on earth John McCain was thinking when he picked her over someone more familiar. A lot of enthusiasm but just the same old Republican rhetoric.”

Not so, Cleburne Republican Judith Giddens said.

“McCain made an excellent choice,” Giddens said. “She’s feisty, seemingly fearless, and I think she’ll do a great job.”

Earl Pierce, Johnson County Democratic Party vice chairman, credited Palin with the ability to deliver a rousing speech but said he doesn’t think she offers enough to ensure McCain a November victory.

“I think this is going to be a close race,” Pierce said. “But I think the Democrats are going to pull it off. Palin’s a good speaker, but all she was doing was dragging the same old things around and running the Democrats down.”

Opinion also differed about how effectively Palin will be able to capture the independent, undecided and in-between voters.

“I think she’ll appeal to the middle ground,” Fidler said. “Because she comes off as a regular person. Listening to her talk, she sounds like she could be from Rio Vista or Godley.”

Palin will probably enjoy broad appeal across the board, Giddens said.

“She’s not a member of the rich upper class,” Giddens said. “She comes from a middle class background, which is where most Americans are, which means most of us can identify and relate to her.”

Ledbetter said she’s not so sure.

“She’s not going to get many Hillary voters,” Ledbetter said. “A relative who told me he’s not going to vote for Obama said he may sit this election out after listening to her last night.”

        

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