Conservative women 'so excited' over Palin

LANCASTER, Pa. -- Carol Hoovler drove about 150 miles from her home in Virginia, with her family in tow, to watch the Republican Party's historic presidential ticket in action on Tuesday.

But more important than Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's breakthrough as the first GOP woman running for vice president, Hoovler said, was Palin's conservative politics.

"She believes in the same things I believe in — pro-life, low taxes, less spending," said Hoovler, 38, a homemaker and mother from Fredericksburg, Va. "I like the woman thing, too. But conservative first."

Hoovler wasn't the only woman to bring her family to Franklin & Marshall College for the GOP campaign rally. Laura Burkhead, 49, a nurse from here, wanted her 14-year-old daughter, Taylor, to see Palin up close. "She has lit a fire under the Republican base," Burkhead said. "It's incredible. I'm so excited."

The choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate jolted to life conservatives, especially women, who were lukewarm to the Arizona senator at the top of the GOP ticket.

In interviews with about two dozen women attending a rally here and by phone, female voters said they were excited by Palin because of her opposition to abortion rights and for her ability to juggle a career with five children.

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The latest USA TODAY/Gallup Poll, taken after last week's GOP convention, showed a smaller gender gap: Democrat Barack Obama leads McCain, 49%-45%, among women. That's down from the 13-point gap among female voters after the Democratic convention last month.

Patricia Weaver, 53, a stay-at-home mom from Fulton, Mo., said in a telephone interview that she wasn't enthusiastic about McCain until he picked Palin. "I felt like I was going to have to hold my nose and pull the lever," she said. "I can live with pulling the lever now."

Arlette Figdore, 58, a retiree and volunteer for the Republican Party here, said she had some reservations about McCain because of his plan to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. "His first big decision re-invigorated — obviously — the party," she said.