Sarah Palin

imageFull Name: Sarah Heath Palin
Party: Republican
Political Office: Governor of Alaska, elected 2006; mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, 1996-2002; Wasilla City Council, 1992-1996
Business/Professional Experience: Television sports reporter, 1987-1989; Co-owner of a commercial fishing operation, 1988-2007; owner, sport vehicle rental business, 1994-1997; chairwoman, Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, 2003-2004
Date of Birth: February 11, 1964
Place of Birth: Sandpoint, Idaho
Education: B.S., University of Idaho, 1987
Spouse: married Todd Palin, 1988
Children: Sons Track, born 1989, and Trig Paxson Van, born 2008; daughters Piper, born 1990; Bristol, born 1994 and Willow, born 2001
Religion: Protestant (nondenominational)
Home: Juneau, Alaska

In a state dominated by the same party – and in many cases the same people – virtually since its inception, Sarah Palin is at the vanguard of a new generation of Alaska Republicans with a reformist bent. The self-described "hockey mom" ousted the incumbent governor in the 2006 primary, and she is both the youngest person and the first woman to serve in the post in Alaska. Senator John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican Party, drafted her as his running mate on Aug. 29, 2008.

Palin brings positives, says media researcher

A conservative media watchdog believes John McCain might have hit a "home run" with his selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Rich Noyes, director of research at the Media Research Center, says the selection of Palin could go a long way to blunt the excitement generated by Democrat Barack Obama's acceptance speech in Denver. Noyes believes her selection will help the McCain ticket in several ways.
 
"They want to present a woman as their vice-presidential choice to further entice disgruntled Hillary voters over to their side -- someone who is accomplished," says Noyes.
 
The MRC spokesman evidently sees several positives in Palin. "She's articulate. She's attractive. She's somebody with good conservative credentials," he observes, "so that will make a lot of people who aren't overly enamored with John McCain feel better about voting for the ticket. So in that way she sort of seems to be kind of a home run."
 
And the Democrats, suggests Noyes, will have a hard time trying to attack Palin's experience.
 
"The rap you'll hear from the Obama people -- if they can somehow pull this off with a straight face -- is that she doesn't have enough national experience," he says. "[And] if the media [should] sort of take that line and present without their own smirking about Obama's lack of experience, it will show...what we've sort of known all this year: that the media are sort of in the tank for the Obama ticket."
 
Noyes says the Palin selection has the potential to have a real impact on the fall campaign.

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