Sarah Palin
Table of contents
Credit: Melina Mara/TWPCurrent Position: Former governor of Alaska (since July 2009)
Why She Matters
At a Glance
Current Position: Former Alaska Governor (since July 2009)
Career History: Governor of Alaska (January 2007 to July 2009); GOP vice presidential nominee (2008); Wasilla Mayor (1996 to 2002); Chairwoman Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission (2003 to 2004); Wasilla City Council member (1992 to 1996); Television sports reporter (1987 to 1989); Co-owner commercial fishing operation (1988 to 2007); Owner, snow machine, watercraft, and al-terrain vehicle business (1994 to 1997)
Birthday: Feb. 11, 1964
Hometown: Wasilla, Alaska
Alma Mater: University of Idaho, B.S. in communications-journalism, 1987
Spouse: Todd Palin
Religion:Christian
State Office:
P.O. Box 110001
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0001
(907) 465-3500
Palin, a relative unknown before the 2008 election, managed to do what no GOP presidential candidate could for their party throughout the Republican primary: energize the conservative base.
Months after her bid as the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee failed, Palin shocked the political world when she resigned the Alaska governorship in July 2009, citing the distraction of the media glare.Martin, Jonathan, Politico, "Sarah Palin Resigns, Blasts Press, Starlets," July 27, 2009
Since then, she has become a leading contender in the 2012 presidential race with her unconventional, new media approach to politics, starting with her Facebook communications to fans, best-selling 2009 book "Going Rogue: An American Life" and gig as a Fox News contributor. She also raised scads of money for SarahPAC, which she began donating to 2010 female GOP candidates that she dubbed "Mama Grizzlies," starting a debate about the nature of feminism in the 2000s.
A number of candidates she has endorsed in the 2010 midterms have won, underscoring her potential political clout heading into 2012.
Palin was the first woman to appear on a Republican presidential ticket, but that fact seemed to be almost an afterthought in the fervor of the 2008 election. The vivacious former PTA mother of five, who knows how to wield both a shotgun and a fishing pole, instantly captured the hearts of the party faithful.
Throughout her meteoric political career, Palin has positioned herself as an outsider, which wasn’t hard considering she’s never been a hands-on favorite to win any of her elected positions. She earned her political chops exposing the GOP elite’s corrupt dealings with Alaska’s vibrant oil industry, which caused the Republican establishment in her state to abandon her during her 2006 bid for the governorship.
These kinds of unapologetic, take-charge actions, coupled with Palin’s positions on social issues,caused even the most hard-line members of the conservative base to become infatuated with Palin during her vice presidential run. Shortly after Palin was announced as McCain’s vice presidential choice, talk-radio titan Rush Limbaugh declared during one of his programs, “Sarah Palin: Babies, guns and Jesus. Hot damn!”Rush Limbaugh, The Rush Limbaugh Show, August 29, 2008
In Her Own Words
Path to Power
Palin often credits days playing basketball in high school for giving her an edge in the political arena. She helped clinch the state title for her team in 1984 with a free-throw in the final minutes of the championship game. “This really sounds hokey, but that was a turning point in my life” she told the Anchorage Daily News after winning Wasilla’s mayoral race in 1996. “We were supposed to be the underdogs big time. You see firsthand anything is possible and learn it takes tenacity, hard work and guts.”S.J. Komarnitsky, “New Mayor, Sharp Knife,” Anchorage Daily News, October 3, 1996.
Born in Idaho, but raised in Alaska, Palin had something of a tomboy’s upbringing. Her father, Chuck, is an avid sportsman who taught his daughter to hunt, fish and trap game. Palin later parlayed her love of the outdoors into several business ventures, working alongside her husband, Todd, for a time as a commercial fish operator. She also made periodic appearances as a television sports anchor on KTUU, Anchorage’s NBC affiliate.
Palin’s first elected position was to the Wasilla City Council in 1992. Four years later she ran for mayor against a three-term incumbent on a tax-cutting platform and won an upset victory. In 2002, she embarked on a longshot race to become lieutenant governor and lost. She did, however, run an impressive campaign that caught the attention of incumbent Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski.
This led to a short-lived appointment to the Alaskan Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which was created to protect the public interest in exploration and development of oil and gas resources. Palin resigned from her post in protest as part of whistle-blowing efforts against fellow Republican Commissioner Randy Ruedrich, who was also chairman of the state party and very close to Gov. Murkowski. Palin believed Ruedrich, and others, hadn’t acted ethically during deals the state had negotiated with ExxonMobil, Conoco Philips and British Petroleum for development along Alaska’s North Slope.
After Palin resigned from the commission, she embarked on a campaign to unseat Gov. Murkowski, promising to open the North Slope to competitive bidding. Ruedrich eventually resigned from the commission and was fined $12,000 for ethics violations in 2004.Richard Mauer, “GOP chief settles, is fined; Randy Ruedrich: Party Chairman admits violations, to pay $12,000.” Anchorage Daily News, June 23, 2004.
Gubernatorial Race
When Palin ran against Murkowski in the 2006 GOP primary, she was forced to rely on grassroots support to advance her candidacy. This was largely because Ruedrich, a loyal Murkowski supporter, remained state GOP chairman and controlled party resources, keeping them out of her reach. Palin was such an outcast from the state party that she even considered running as an Independent. At the time she vented to a local talk-radio host, “One of the challenges is being up against those who run our party.”Tom Kizza, “PALIN: Her reputations as a crusader had perfect timing,” Anchorage Daily News, October 24, 2006But Palin was also helped by the fact Alaskans were feeling hostile towards members of the GOP establishment, like Ruedrich, who had become too cozy with the oil industry.
After winning the GOP primary, Palin gained a comfortable lead over former Democratic Governor Tony Knowles, who after losing a campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2006, sought to reclaim his position as governor. Palin won by double-digits and became Alaska’s first female governor at the age of 42.
A little more than a year after being sworn-in, Palin met GOP presidential candidate John McCain at a Republican governor’s meeting. “We just talked about earmark reform and how it’s going to happen,” Palin said at the time.Erika Bolstad, “Palin for earmarks before she was against them,” McClatchy Newspapers, September 4, 2008
After McCain won the Republican nomination for president, he unexpectedly tapped Palin to become his vice presidential candidate. Although the McCain-Palin ticket did not win in 2008, the campaign introduced Palin to the nation and she is now one of the most popular figures within the Republican Party.
Gubernatorial Resignation
On July 26, 2009, Palin abruptly retired as Alaska governor, 18 months before her term ended. In a typically folksy speech, Palin blasted the media for focusing on her family and political opponents for filing ethics complaints that she says became a distraction and resource drain for Alaksa.Martin, Jonathan, Politico, "Sarah Palin Resigns, Blasts Press, Starlets," July 27, 2009
She urged the media to stick to the truth for the sake of military troops dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. “So, how about, in honor of the American soldier, quit making things up,” Palin goaded. Martin, Jonathan, Politico, "Sarah Palin Resigns, Blasts Press, Starlets," July 27, 2009
The Issues
It remains a mystery what Palin intends to do after suddenly resigning as Alaska's chief executive. Her allies believe she'll now have more time to travel nationally, campaigning for Republican candidates and filling her own war chest, in advance of the 2012 presidential race.
But others believe that Palin is technically done with politics for the moment, and will spend time writing a book or even hosting her own TV talk-show. Balz, Dan, The Washington Post, "With Act II Unwritten, Palin Can Define Her Role," July 27, 2009
Three E's
Palin’s top policy issues could be boiled down to three E’s: energy, environment and ethics. All three of these subjects have been closely intertwined throughout Palin’s career and are at the forefront of her political agenda.
As governor, Palin has challenged non-competitive oil contracts and environmentalists alike in her efforts to increase exploration in Alaska. Her centerpiece legislation, the Alaskan Gas Inducement Act, authorized the construction of a 1,715-mile natural gas pipeline to TransCanada Alaska, a project significantly larger than the 800-mile Alaskan pipeline.
She is an assertive advocate for developing natural resources, arguing it should be within her state’s right to drill, even in prohibited places like the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. She’s similarly fought efforts to list the polar bear as an endangered species. “We’ve got other places in the world once again telling us Alaskans how to live and whether we can develop,” she told Investors Business Daily in 2008. ‘We’ve coexisted with bears for decades to no detrimental effect. Our bear population is thriving. The listing is nothing but interference from outsiders who insist on keeping Alaska from developing resources responsibly.”Sarah Palin interview, “Alaska ‘Frustrated’ Governor Palin on Our ‘Nonsensical’ Energy Policy,” Investor’s Business Daily, July 11, 2008
Feminism and Family
A spate of pro-Palin groups has cropped up in the wake of the governor’s vice presidential candidacy.http://www.sarahpac.com/Palin enjoys strong support among Republican women. Many of them were compelled to unite behind Palin in 2008 due to the drubbing she was subjected to throughout the presidential election for campaigning for vice president while mothering an infant.
Palin’s decision to accept the vice presidential slot so soon after having her fifth child was openly debated in the media. The questioning reached such an intense clamor that former 2008 GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani directly addressed the chattering classes during the Republican National Convention. There, he issued a passionately feminist defense. "How dare they question whether Sarah Palin has enough time to spend with her children and be vice president," he said. "When do they ever ask a man that question?"Bumiller, Elisabeth and Cooper, Michael, "Palin Assails Critics and Electrifies Party," The New York Times, Sept. 4, 2008
Palin has avoided most discussions about the historic nature of her candidacy due to her gender. She has, however, criticized the media’s discussion of her children and anonymous bloggers who drove salacious rumors about her family on several occasions.Ryan D’Agostino, Sarah Palin interview, “What I’ve Learned,” Esquire Magazine, January 13, 2009
Global Warming
Carving out what may be a new national role for the governor after her resignation announcement, Palin wrote a July 2009 op-ed for The Washington Post criticizing the cap-and-trade plan passed by the House in summer 2009.
"I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy. It would undermine our recovery over the short term and would inflict permanent damage," Palin wrote. Palin, Sarah, The Washington Post, "The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End," July 14, 2009
The governor pointed to higher energy prices for low-income households, along with unemployment in the energy sector and the higher cost of doing business for some industries, like farming, under the plan.
She advocated tapping "the resources that God created right underfoot on American soil" to solve the problem of U.S. dependency on foreign oil. She pointed to the creation of the natural gas pipeline in Alaska, as well as clean coal and some offshore oil drilling as the answers. Palin, Sarah, The Washington Post, "The 'Cap And Tax' Dead End," July 14, 2009
The Network
In some ways it’s easier to count those who aren’t in Palin’s inner circle than those who are. Before appearing on the GOP presidential ticket, Palin often relied mainly on grassroots support to propel her political efforts.
Murkowski, her 2006 gubernatorial primary opponent, consumed most of the political talent in Alaska. And the fact Murkowski appointed his daughter, Lisa, to the U.S. Senate didn’t help Palin, either. In 2004, Palin considered challenging Lisa Murkowski. In the end, she decided to sit out and endorsed Sen. Murkowski’s other Republican challenger Mike Miller.Richard Mauer, “Palin to back Miller for U.S. Senate,” Anchorage Daily News, April 24, 2004.
Palin’s campaign manager for her gubernatorial race was one of her hometown friends, Kris Perry. Other people playing lead roles in the campaign included middle-school friends and work acquaintances.Tom Kizza, “PALIN: Her reputations as a crusader had perfect timing,” Anchorage Daily News, October 24, 2006.
GOP consultant Becki Donatelli, chair of Campaign Solutions, was hired to manage SarahPAC in January 2008, indicating Palin is expanding her circle to a competitive, national level.Chris Cillizza, “White House Cheat Sheet: Bantering over Bipartisanship,” Washington Post, January 30, 2008
Footnotes
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