In Alaska's small political world, heads are still spinning over Sarah Palin's ascent to national stardom -- and not just because it happened overnight.
Only a few months ago, many leading Republicans here were deriding Palin as a free-spending oil baron in the mold of Hugo Chavez. Now most are doing their best to cheer the governor on as a budget-cutting fiscal conservative running for vice president.
Republican legislators may not like it when she talks in her stump speech about shaking up the good old boy network back home. They grumble that she is once again wielding her broad brush against innocent and guilty alike. But bitter memories of the past two years -- in which Palin's toughest opposition in Alaska came from inside her own political party -- appear to be glazing over in a new era of good feeling.
"You're left with no choice. It's one of those things where you just grin and bear it," said Andrew Halcro, a former Republican state representative and Palin critic. "I've seen people that have been very critical of her just close ranks."
Democrats are also in a tricky position.
Their alliances with Palin led to big legislative victories on oil taxes, the natural gas pipeline and ethics.
Democratic legislators say they oppose the McCain-Palin ticket, and some object to what they see as a new note of sarcasm toward Democrats in Palin's on-stage persona. But they have their own races to run in Alaska this fall, and they aren't eager to stand up against the wave of enthusiasm for Palin.
"It's very difficult for critics to know what to do in a situation like this," said Anchorage pollster and campaign consultant Ivan Moore. He noted that as governor, Palin has had approval ratings of more than 60 percent from registered Democrats here. That could decline, he added, if she becomes the "pit bull" of the McCain campaign.
For now, some Democratic legislators are calling attention to differences on issues such as health care and education, while praising Palin's efforts to find bi-partisan common ground elsewhere as governor.
"On questions of oil and gas, there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between us," said Rep. Harry Crawford, D-Anchorage. "I'm thrilled for the lady. I'll just leave it at that."
As governor since 2006, Palin carried the day on her big oil and gas priorities by combining votes of Democratic and moderate Republican legislators. She succeeded, in part, by not pushing hard in other, potentially controversial areas, such as operating budget cuts and anti abortion measures.
The final House vote this summer on the gas line license for TransCanada promoted by Palin showed a typical breakdown. The measure was approved 24-16, with 16 Democrats voting yes along with eight swing-vote Republicans. Oil companies opposed the contract, as they did Palin's oil taxes. Sensing the state's anti-oil mood, Palin used that as an argument in her favor.
Republican opponents, worried that higher oil taxes would hurt industry investment in Alaska, called Palin a closet liberal. Critics said her gas line plan would fail because she spurned the major oil producers. Others objected to her bill giving $1,200 in windfall oil revenue to each resident.
Today, criticism of Palin's populism can still be heard from conservative call-in radio hosts in Anchorage. But few Republican politicians are taking broad swipes, and callers are challenging anyone who sounds negative.
"Sometimes we have our own credibility to worry about," conservative talk radio host Rick Rydell of KENI-AM said last week. "All I keep hearing is, 'Why don't you toe the line?' "
Republicans contacted for this story said there had been no effort by the McCain campaign to suppress critical comments by party members.
Poor reporter. But notice McClatchy's headline to this piece -- Palin supporters are called "cheerleaders." I guess that word is supposed to convey the Palin supporters are shallow people. The way I see it, they have seen Palin in action over several years and have sized her up as a good leader.
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