Meet Sarah Palin, Working Mom of 5 and VP Candidate
Republican presidential nominee John McCain made party history by selecting the GOP's first female vice-presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska. The 44-year-old Gov. Palin was a relative unknown on the national stage before being introduced as McCain's running mate on August 29, 2008. Get to know Governor Palin's professional history, personal story, and her stance on key issues.
Gov. Palin entered political life with a successful run for city council in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, in 1992. After her first term as councilor, Palin was elected Wasilla's mayor in 1996. Although she was re-elected in 1999, term limits prevented Palin from seeking a third term as mayor. In 2006, Palin ran a successful campaign for Governor of Alaska, and served in that capacity until joining the McCain campaign.
Palin married her husband, Todd Palin, on August 29, 1988. The couple have five children: sons Track (19) and Trig (4 months), and daughters Bristol (17), Willow (14), and Piper (7). The Palins' youngest, Trig, was born with Down's syndrome. After Gov. Palin's selection as the Republican vice-presidential nominee, it was revealed that her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant and planning to marry the father of her child.On most issues, Gov. Palin takes the conservative or right-wing view. Palin is staunchly pro-life. She supports opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling for oil, and believes climate change is not caused by human activity. Palin is an avid hunter and a longstanding member of the National Rifle Association. Her record shows little in the way of foreign policy experience, although she is a supporter of the Iraq war (her son Track will soon be deployed there as a soldier of the United States Army). As mayor of Wasilla, Palin cut income and property taxes, and increased sales taxes to pay for a new indoor ice rink and sports complex. She is on record as supporting the teaching of creationism as part of the science curriculum in public schools, alongside the theory of evolution.
Critics of Palin's record note that her reputation as a reformer in Alaska's scandal-plagued Republican party may not be fully deserved. Although she has taken credit for killing the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" project, the Anchorage Daily News observed that Palin had "campaigned... on a build-the-bridge platform," and had dropped her support for it only after it became a national laughingstock. While Palin pushed tough ethics reforms as governor, she is currently implicated in a scandal in which she stands accused of using the power of her office to fire a state trooper for personal reasons.
Reaction to the selection of Palin has spanned the spectrum, with some calling her a gutsy choice that confirms John McCain's maverick bona fides, and others worrying that Palin doesn't have the credentials for such an important position. We'd like to know what our readers think. Is the Palin pick a home run or a whiff? Are you more or less likely to vote for McCain with Palin on the ticket?
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