Here are dozens of reasons to like Sarah

By Kevin Ferris

ST. PAUL, Minn. — One of the first e-mails that hit the inbox last Friday made reference to how much Sarah Palin looked like a young Sally Field, star of the overwrought TV show “Brothers Sisters.” You remember last Friday, when the world awoke to rumors of Sarah, and collectively said, Barack Who? (OK, maybe that was just me.)

So it is fitting that one week later, we mangle an overused quote from the overwrought philosopher/actress to describe the GOP delegates’ attitude toward the Alaska governor: They like her. They really, really like her.

They like her level of experience for a VP candidate — being No. 2 in an administration led by a man with decades of government, military and political experience. She would break tie votes in the Senate, which the world hopes will include Obama and Joe Biden next year. (OK, maybe that’s just me.)

They like her record of reforming government, cutting taxes, and holding politicians accountable as both governor and mayor of Wasilla. That’s the town, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday night, where she earned more votes as a mayoral candidate than Biden received in his run for president.

They like her good-looking, all-American family. The handsome dad. The son in the Army who heads for Iraq next week. The daughters (yes, even that one, maybe especially that one). The baby. The world’s most famous groom to be.

From hunter to beauty queen

They like that she’s run a business. That she’s comfortable in the outdoors, around hunting, fishing or snow-machine racing. That she can talk knowledgeably about firearms with her Secret Service agents. That she played basketball then; that she coaches it now. That she won a beauty pageant then, and probably still could now. (OK, maybe that last one is just me.)

They like that she’s been on the PTA. That she’s a hockey mom. That she made hockey moms cool with one ad lib on pit bulls and lipstick. That she seems more like them than any other national-ticket contender in memory.

They like having a pro-life candidate who walks the walk.

They like the enthusiasm that Palin has generated among the party faithful. The increased numbers of calls from potential volunteers and donors.

They like her acceptance speech. Well, they love her acceptance speech. It showed that she could be tough yet good-humored, whether on offense against her political opponents or in defense of herself and her family. They like her love of the people in small-town America.

They like that she showed her strengths in some policy areas, such as reform and energy, and that she’s ready to tackle others, including foreign policy. That she made it plain there’s a place in Washington for someone from outside the Beltway — especially someone way, way outside the Beltway.

They like the phrase she uses to describe how elected officials should approach their jobs: with a servant’s heart. And they were moved to tears by her promise to be an advocate in the White House for families with special-needs children.

The delegates who arrived in Minnesota are not the same ones who will be leaving. If anything, they like Sarah Palin even more. Really, really like her. That’s not just me.

X Kevin Ferris is commentary page editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer.Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.