Palin divides women of Florida

"Vice-presidential candidate survives debate against Joe Biden but fails to dazzle voters"

"Palin's winks and you betchas divide women of Florida"

Full Guardian (UK) story here. By Suzanne Goldenberg in Winter Park, Florida.

Never before perhaps has such a tiny gesture assumed such electoral importance as Sarah Palin's wink.

Because while, as the cliche has it, the eyes are the window of the soul, Palin's use of her eyes was a window to the views of women in one of the most hotly contested places in this election.

Palin's eyelash batting got under way from the opening moments of Thursday's contest against Joe Biden - and so did the parsing of its significance at a debate-watching party in Florida.

"She is trying to act like a southern belle. She is not acting like someone who could be president of the United States and John McCain is one heart attack away," said Priscilla Glascock, a 26-year-old nurse who is supporting Barack Obama. "The men are going to love it," she sneered. . . .

"I can't imagine myself doing that wink," said Lydia Gardner, a Republican local government official first elected in 1987. "I lived in Boston. I lived in Washington and I went to a very cosmopolitan and very sophisticated university where that wink maybe would not have been done. But for her, and for where she is from and for her background it's perfectly appropriate." . . .

By the end of the night, most of the party agreed Palin had made no significant stumbles. But even as Palin's little flourishes became an Alaskan blizzard of doggone its, bless their hearts, darn rights, hecks, and you betchas, she did not inspire confidence either. . . .

[Barbara Nelen's] daughter, Alexa, a student voting for the first time, did not feel for Palin. "I think she is trying to be more of a motivational speaker than telling us what she would do in the government." . . .