From Anchorage Daily News here:
Palin's greatest gift to McCain so far appears to have been in shoring up support for him among core conservatives, who have held the Arizona senator at arm's length but embraced the Alaska governor enthusiastically. She's a darling of the GOP base for her conservative positions, most notably her strong opposition to abortion in almost every case, telegraphed vividly each time she appears with her infant son Trig, who has Down syndrome.
Beyond that, though, Palin is giving McCain an opening with a crucial group of swing voters -- many of them women like Thibault -- who espouse traditional values but are working class and mostly concerned about the economy.
Some of them had previously supported Clinton because she connected with them on pocketbook issues.
Like the so-called "Reagan Democrats" of the 1980s, they are economically liberal and socially conservative. In bad economic times, they lean toward Democrats who promise help on key pocketbook issues, but they're drawn to Republicans because of their stances on cultural issues.
"These are blue-collar, working-class voters who voted for Senator Clinton, who are pro-life and pro-gun," said Pennsylvania pollster G. Terry Madonna of Franklin and Marshall College. "Palin has an opportunity with them."
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