A TV news presenter who is a dead ringer for Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has received “hate mail and nasty phone calls".

Some viewers think Cindy Michaels from WVII-TV is trying to copy John McCain's deputy.

She has long brown hair that she sometimes wears up in a style similar to Palin’s, and she also wears distinctive glasses.

The TV presenter says viewers began accusing her of trying to copy Palin’s style and even trying to sway votes.

She says more than a dozen people have made the comparison, which she takes as a compliment.

But she has also received several hurtful comments.

One said: "You're so much more interesting and nicer than Sarah Palin. We hope you don't keep that hairdo.

"You don't want to be tarred with that same brush. You know, she's not coming off that well."

Then a harsh voicemail was left during her newscast saying: "What is this is K-mart version of Sarah Palin...what did you do, lose your little cheapo glasses?"

Cindy said: "I'm not Sarah Palin. They know I'm not Sarah Palin. So to say cutting things to me just because I'm wearing my hair up, and a pair of glasses, there's just something a little strange about that."