Colorado GOP reassured, Dems dismissive about Palin VP pick

The early reaction in Colorado to GOP presidential hopeful John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate has been impromptu excitement by Republicans and dismissal by Democrats as a bad choice that won't affect the presidential race in the state.

Palin was universally lauded by Colorado conservatives, though for different reasons - the lack of an early common theme was likely because McCain's selection of Palin came as a surprise to most.

"A lot of us are going to be doing what I'm doing today, going on the Internet to find out more about her," said Dave Dill, Pueblo County GOP chairman, to the Pueblo Chieftain. "I'm surprised by the choice, but I like what I'm learning about her."

Palin's impeccable pro-life credentials, already known among many conservatives, have reassured many Republicans worried about McCain's conservative bona fides.

James Dobson, the Focus on the Family leader who earlier said he would never vote for McCain, said on a radio talk show Friday that he "would pull that lever" for McCain, according to the New York Times.

Other Republicans lauded her pro-gun stance and work to fight corruption.

"I admire people who are in real life who they say they are when you put them under the spotlight," U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Littleton) told the Rocky Mountain News on Friday. "I was going to vote for John McCain because he wasn't Barack Obama. Now I'm going to vote for John McCain because I'm excited about his vice presidential pick."

But many conservatives in Colorado are even more excited by the thought that Palin will lure undecided female voters - as well as dissatisfied supporters of Hillary Clinton - over to the GOP ticket.

Some Democrats have quickly tried to turn that argument around, portraying the move as a blatant ploy to win over those voters.

"I think in many ways this selection may backfire on the McCain campaign," said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Denver), according to the Rocky. "It'll make women mad that the McCain campaign would be so cynical as to think that by picking somebody who is so obviously unqualified, that women would vote for her simply because of her gender."

Democrats' initial response to the Palin announcement on Friday was to downplay her impact on the race at all in Colorado.

"Really, I don't think it's going to earn him any points," Waak told PolitickerCO.com Friday morning.

Other Democrats echoed the Barack Obama presidential campaign's initial response to the pick by questioning Palin's vice presidenital qualifications, given that two years ago she was mayor of a small town in Alaska.

"McCain had said this campaign was about experience and Obama had said it was about judgment," Colorado Democratic Party Vice Chairman Dan Slater told the Rocky. "John McCain abandoned the experience argument and showed that he has no judgment."