Sarah Palin may be a trailblazer in that she’s the first woman to be placed on the Republican presidential ticket and Alaska’s first governor, but a survey of former female governors shows not everyone’s too impressed with her.

Politico.com spoke to several former governors after those currently serving either declined to comment or didn’t respond to interview requests. They had mixed reactions to Palin, with opinions sharply divided along partisan lines. Republicans defended her and said she’s a step forward for women. Democrats, however, questioned whether she was qualified enough.

One big fault line is the issue of abortion. Palin herself is unapologetically pro-life — which may prove to be a deciding factor for many women.

Former Oregon Gov. Barbara Roberts, a Democrat, said she had “mixed emotions," in part because of Palin’s views on abortion.

"We would love to have a woman be on a ticket,” Roberts said. "But I think for many, many women across the nation … a severely anti-choice woman is not the woman we had hoped for."

Former Montana Gov. Judy Martz, a Republican, told Politico.com she believes some of the women’s organizations who are bashing Palin — such as the National Organization for Women — "are hypocrites."

"It’s the promotion of the liberal view of what they think a woman should do," Martz said. Palin "personifies the American woman," she added, citing the nominee’s political accomplishments while juggling her work and her home life.

Former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican, criticized the fireballs being lobbed at Palin over her experience.

"There is still an underlying sexism that reverberates. It’s hard to separate it all out. Would we have asked the same things had she been a man?" asked Whitman.

Read the whole story on Politico.com here.