Gov. Palin's accent is the genuine article

This is a response to the opinion posted by Karen Wagner of Rolling Meadows regarding Gov. Palin's "contrived folksy act."

I come from an area of the United States where people in rural communities have accents and speech patterns very similar to Gov. Palin's.

It would in fact take extensive work with a speech specialist to erase and retrain her speech pattern.

If you notice, those "ing" words get clipped down to "n" the more impassioned and involved she is in what she is saying.

It would take a linguistic expert to "fake" the lilting undertones in her voice.

I know the vast majority of the country cringes when they hear her speak, but it takes me back home.

Did anyone find anything but charm in the respective New England and Deep South accents of the Kennedys and the Carters?

Gov. Palin may have an unconventional manner of expressing herself, but she is not a stupid woman, nor is she "pretending" to be folksy.

Politically I am undecided, disappointed at the choices we the people have been given (yet again!)

Gov. Palin does bring a couple of items to the table that are frequently lost in the sophistication and privilege of the political arena - guts and a functioning moral compass

Shirley Bolliger

Rolling Meadows