newsminer.com

FAIRBANKS -- Among social conservatives, and Alaska has plenty, U.S. Sen. John McCain’s popularity grew Friday after he named Gov. Sarah Palin his running mate.

Palin is solidly pro-gun, pro-death penalty, anti-abortion, against gay marriage and she has advocated for creationism to be taught in public schools.

McCain has a reputation, deserved or not, for being moderate on some social issues, although his votes in the Senate and the positions described on his campaign Web site would suggest otherwise.

The Arizona senator was the last choice among Alaska Republicans who voted in February’s presidential preference poll. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came in first, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was second and Texas Rep. Ron Paul was third. McCain came in fourth with about 15 percent of the vote.

Support in the state has sometimes been tepid, especially among the so-called religious right, for the GOP candidate has been more obligatory than enthusiastic.

That’s now changed.

Karen Lewis, executive director of Alaska Right To Life, said she plans to be a more active McCain supporter now that Palin has joined the ticket.

The anti-abortion crusader sees Palin as more solidly grounded in the Republican Party platform than McCain.

“I thought he was a little too cozy with some of the Democrats,” Lewis said of the GOP presidential candidate. “I’m sure the other side is just very upset about this because she is a female and she’s young and she’s vibrant and she’s articulate. It’s not going to help them out.”

“We are definitely way more excited,” said Debbie Joslin, president of Eagle Forum Alaska.

Eagle Forum is a radical conservative interest group that bills itself as pro-family. Joslin is active in the Republican Party of Alaska and is attending next week’s GOP convention in Minnesota as an alternate Alaska delegate.

“Conservatives feel much more comfortable,” Joslin said. “There is going to be a much better level of participation now. Gov. Palin is pro-life. She’s pro-gun. She’s pro-family. These are strong points for her, and they really help the ticket a lot.”

Jim Minnery, president of the conservative Alaska Family Council, agreed. He is looking into getting McCain-Palin bumper stickers and signs.

“I was probably lukewarm initially,” Minnery said of the McCain campaign. “Not that McCain doesn’t stand for things that I believe in. It’s just that there was not a lot of energy behind the campaign up here. In no uncertain terms, the selection of Gov. Palin is going to be a motivating factor for a lot of folks getting to the polls and helping out with the McCain campaign.”

A chorus of national conservative organizations lauded McCain’s choice of running mate. The list includes the Christian Coalition of America, National Right to Life, Christians for Social Justice, the National Clergy Council and the Population Research Institute.

Conservative state lawmakers Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, and Sen. Fred Dyson, R-Eagle River, joined the chorus.

“This is giving more significance, more enthusiasm to our national ticket,” Dyson said.