McCain made his announcement on Friday. She would be the second woman to be a vice presidential candidate. Geraldine Ferraro was chosen to serve as Democrat Walter Mondale’s running mate in 1984.
Dr. Karen Mathiak, chairwoman of the Spalding County Republican Party, thinks Palin is a good choice.
“I’m excited about her because I think she’s a conservative seat,” she said. “She’s not afraid to go against Republicans that aren’t following the law.”
She said that in Alaska, Palin cracked down on unethical behavior by Republican office holders. She said she believes Palin has the necessary experience and looks forward to seeing her debate with Joe Biden, running mate of Democrat Barack Obama.
“I really don’t think too much about it,” said Jesse Maddox, chairman of the Spalding County Democratic Party. “She’s as good a candidate as he could find, I guess.”
He said like many Americans, he is not familiar with Palin.
Holly Wells, who works at the Memorial Drive Quiznos, echoes Maddox’s sentiments.
“I kind of thought it was a surprise,” Wells said. “I don’t know a whole lot about her.”
She said she cannot yet judge if McCain’s choice was a wise one or not.
“I think it’s definitely a bold move,” said Edward Bullard, a Griffin attorney. “I think he was trying to get some of the female voters that Hillary (Clinton) was planning to bring onto the Democratic side.”
He said he does not know much about Palin, so he cannot say if this is a wise decision.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Steve Moody, a driver for Sygma. “I think it adds diversity to the campaign.”
“I’m all for it,” said Jerry Morris, a Griffin engineer. “I think she was a good governor of Alaska and she’ll bring a lot to the vice president’s office.”
Debbie Weiher, a McDonough housewife whose daughter Ashley Travis works at the Memorial Drive A&B Coffeehouse, supports McCain’s move.
“I’m all for it,” she said. “It’s about time for a woman to come into power.”
Her daughter agrees.
“I think that was a very wise move,” Travis said. “He’s trying to get not only a woman’s perspective but also going for a younger generation.”
She said that McCain choosing Palin would bridge the gap between his generation and the younger one.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Renee Lassetter, a kindergarten teacher at Futral Road Elementary School.
She said McCain’s choice showed he is not beholden to what other people think is wise. She said Palin is qualified, professional and politically aware.
“I don’t think he would choose someone just haphazardly,” Lassetter said. “I think he really did a lot of searching and investigating and looking at the big picture before he chose her.”
Martin Batts, an electronics sales associate at the North Expressway Wal-Mart, a Spalding County firefighter and an Obama supporter, is skeptical of the wisdom of McCain’s choice.
“I think he was going for the voters that Senator Clinton had,” he said.
However, he views Palin’s lack of foreign policy experience as a liability.
“Smart tactic but bad move,” Batts said. “I think if Senator Clinton had been a Republican, it’d have worked.”
He said that if McCain wins the November election, he will be looked at as a genius, but if he loses, this decision might be the cause.
- The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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