ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Registered Democrat Kay Chaney of Barnesville supports the Republican ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin for president and vice president because Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not appeal to her.
Chaney and other Ohio Valley voters flocked to Brush Run Park on Sunday to hear Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speak on the stage where country music legends like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash once played during Jamboree In The Hills.
Though she did not play guitar for her audience, Palin worked the crowd into a frenzy by adopting the phrase "Mine, baby, mine," as she expressed her support for coal mining and coal liquefaction.
And while many national polls show the race trending in Obama's favor, Chaney made it clear she will not support the first-term U.S. senator from Illinois.
"I wouldn't vote for Obama for anything. ... I don't like anything he has to say," she said during the rally.
Chaney said one of her largest concerns with the Obama-Biden ticket involves cultural issues.
"His (Obama's) name makes him sound like he is a Muslim from the Middle East. ... That is not what we need," she said.
Belmont resident Janie Sheehy supports the McCain-Palin ticket because she believes McCain is more qualified to be president than Obama.
"McCain has a lot of experience. ... I can see him as president," she said, noting she cannot envision Obama holding the office.
St. Clairsville resident Mike Fador also is a firm McCain-Palin supporter.
"I believe they both have a lot of faith in God and have all of their priorities lined up right," he said.
Jay and Barbara Reisinger of Wheeling support McCain-Palin - and believe the Republicans have run a cleaner campaign than the Democrats.
"I do not believe the candidates should participate in all of the negative campaigning like they do, but McCain has definitely does less of that than Obama has," Jay Reisinger said.
"I support John McCain and Sarah Palin because they have good policies and good character," Barbara Reisinger added.
One rally attendee who remains an undecided voter is Bellaire resident Debbie Carpino, who said she also plans to hear Biden speak at 4 p.m. Tuesday on the Ohio University Eastern campus.
"My main issue is the economy, and I want to hear what these candidates are going to do to make it better. I had some investments in Florida that went bad because of this whole mortgage crisis, so I want to hear what both sides have to say about the economy," she said.
