OUR new acting governor, state Sen. Earl Ray Tomblin, has been described as an introvert.

That description is a little hard to buy. 

He's a politician, after all. He has put himself in the public spotlight by running for office, not just once but several times.

He has gotten along well enough with his fellow state senators that they have elected him their leader eight different times. 

When the Senate has been in session, often with galleries full of spectators, Tomblin has stood at the podium and run the show.  

If this is an introvert, how does he tolerate such pain?

Watching his beloved "Jeopardy" for a half hour a day? Riding his ATV in the woods on weekends? Spending a Saturday afternoon weeding the flowerbed?

Real introverts engage in such activities, but they don't wake up on Monday morning and head back into the public fray.  

Tomblin also is on Facebook. And he Tweets.

Well, nearly everyone does that these days, but he has more than 5,000 "friends." He seems to respond when they make comments, although a staff member may be doing that for him. 

He has been thanking people for their compliments on his speech after taking office Tuesday. He also thanks them for attending the event. He comes across as warm and gracious.

Still, real-world colleagues say Tomblin is private and not one for speechifying. He has been described as an "enigma" who most West Virginians know nothing about.

That may be due more to the public's lack of interest in lawmakers than to shyness on his part. 

Whatever the cause of Tomblin's low profile, it is about to change in a big way. 

He has moved from the crowded legislative aquarium to the gubernatorial fishbowl.

I think he'll do just fine with all the attention.

Daily Mail editors interviewed former Gov. Joe Manchin shortly before he left for Washington to take his seat in the U.S. Senate. 

We asked Manchin, an extrovert if there ever was one, how he thought Tomblin would do with public speaking.

Manchin thought this was a non-issue.

Governors are called upon to speak so often, he said, that they all simply adjust and get better with practice.

His answer rings true. Almost everyone fears public speaking. It seems to be human nature.  Some people are just more motivated to overcome the aversion than others.

What I would find tedious if I were Tomblin is constantly repeating myself. He will have to do that.

Every governor stocks his brain with lines that he uses over and over, modifying them to suit the occasion.

I'll be interested to see if Tomblin has his predecessor's affinity for hand shaking.

All politicians shake hands, but none more thoroughly than Manchin.

He starts as soon as he enters a room and moves workmanlike from person to person. His grip is firm, his greeting is warm  - I've never seen anyone do it better.

Tomblin couldn't go wrong by adopting this style. I just hope he gets a flu shot.

If he is an introvert, Tomblin has a way of forging connections. Here's an example.

Years ago, when he was newly elected, I covered the Senate as a reporter.

In those days, reporters sat at a table in the front of the Senate chamber. We stared at the senators and they at us throughout the 60-day regular session.  We also saw them in committee meetings. We certainly got to know each other.

On the last day of his first session, Tomblin presented each of the female reporters - I think there were three of us - with a beautiful red rose.

It was a sweet gesture, especially for someone who didn't seek much coverage. Not surprisingly in hindsight, he wasn't one of those who would stand to be recognized and launch into long monologues. 

The fact that I remember that rose so many years later may be a clue about Tomblin's ability to interact with people.

He may be quiet, but I'm betting he will rise to the demands of his new job. 

If he weren't good with people, he wouldn't have done so well at herding the preening cats in the Senate for a historic 15 years.

Friend is editor and publisher of the Daily Mail. She may be reached at 348-5124 or nan...@dailymail.com.