Democrats, liberals say women won't buy McCain's VP choice

Washington, Aug.30 (ANI): A certain section of Democrats and Liberals have claimed that women won't buy Republican presidential nominee John McCain's choice of running mate - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin

Debbie Dingell, a loyal Clinton backer and the wife of Rep. John D. Dingell (Democrat-Michigan), said she had been talking to women all day on Thursday and Friday, and they claimed that felt "insulted" by the move.

"This is just sheer political pandering," she said. "I don't think women are going to buy it," The New York Times quoted her, as saying.

There is also a view in the Democrat camp that Palin may not be able to deliver the female and Democrat votes that the McCain camp desires, despite being the pro-gun, anti-abortion governor of Alaska.

Ellen R. Malcolm, president of Emily's List, which supports women candidates, said Palin's positions on the issues traditionally pressed by women's group were questionable.

"McCain clearly sees the power of women voters in this election but has just as clearly failed to support any of the issues that they care about."

According to the paper, there is, however, no doubt that Palin's selection has energized both conservative Republicans and some disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, who have expressed resentment over their candidate not making it onto the Democratic ticket this year.

McCain's choice also made some women, including Clinton, wary of being too critical of Palin, who managed to assume a role in national politics that they have sought for a woman ever since Mondale and Ferraro went down to defeat.

"It's basically the equivalent of a midnight raid behind enemy lines," said Juleanna R. Glover, a GOP strategist with ties to the McCain campaign.

"Hillary said she made 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling. Well, McCain just shattered it."

Serrin M. Foster, president of Feminists for Life, a nonpartisan group to which Palin has belonged since 2006, said the governor's sudden political ascent demonstrates how women are making gains, regardless of their ideology.

"This is one more step in a long march for women's history," she said.

Clinton herself said: "We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain. While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate."

Polling data suggest that Obama has the Democrats' traditional advantage among women at the moment. Washington Post-ABC News polling this year indicates that nearly six in 10 women call themselves either Democrats or Democrat-leaning independents, and in the latest Post-ABC poll, 55 percent of female voters supported Senator Barack Obama, and 37 percent supported McCain.

The extent of Palin's appeal will probably be determined by which side -- McCain's or Democratic nominee Barack Obama's -- defines the relatively unknown politician in the weeks to come, concludes the paper. (ANI)