Biden, Palin's Accent to Face Off in Debate

The VP debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden is this Thursday on ESPN television and there seems to be a healthy fixation on the Governor's don't cha know-ish accent.

"Palin ... makes people’s ears prick up. “‘Oh,’ they think, ‘she sounds like us, she sounds like me, she understands me.’”"

Only if you live in Fargo, I assume? I actually like the accent, but I've never heard it out west anywhere. Anyone else have first-hand experience? Is this a common accent for Alaska or the Pacific northwest in general?