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So what do Utahns think of John McCain's choice for vice president, and more importantly, who would they vote for if the election was today?
A poll reveals a narrow majority of Utahns think Sarah Palin will help the Republican presidential ticket, but they feel Mitt Romney would have been the better choice.
News of Palin as the Republican vice presidential nominee came as a surprise to many, a pleasant surprise to some. Kent Jensen, from Taylorsville, said, "I know nothing about her. She's the governor of Alaska, is that correct?"
Just 17 percent of people surveyed in the exclusive Dan Jones poll believe Palin hurts the ticket; 51 percent say she'll help it. But 53 percent believe Mitt Romney would have been the better choice, while 30 percent say Palin was.
Earlier this week, all attention was on the Democratic convention, a historic event as Barack Obama accepted the Democratic presidential nomination. When asked if the convention changed the way Utahns feel about Obama, 17 percent say they are now more in favor of him and 6 percent are less in favor. Seventy-two percent say the convention didn't make a difference.
Then came the big question: If the election were today, who would people vote for? Twenty-three percent said they'd vote for Obama, 58 percent for McCain.
At least one Utahn said his vote for McCain would be due to his Sarah Palin pick.
Tyler Squire, of North Salt Lake, said, "He's kind of an old guy, kind of a dirty, old man. Don't like him that much, so my vote really hinged on the VP."
A lot of people we talked to said they want to learn more about Palin, something many will be doing next week at the GOP convention.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
