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Quick Facts
- NAME: Sarah Palin
- OCCUPATION: U.S. Governor, Reality Television Star
- BIRTH DATE: February 11, 1964 (Age: 49)
- EDUCATION: Wasilla High School, University of Idaho
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Sandpoint, Idaho
- Maiden Name: Sarah Louise Heath
- AKA: Sarah Palin
- ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius
Best Known For
Sarah Palin, McCain's 2008 running mate, is the second woman and first Republican female to run for vice president on a U.S. major party's ticket.
Videos see all videos
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Sarah Palin - Early Life (2:30)
Sarah Palin - 2008 Presidential Campaign
In 2008, then Presidential hopeful John McCain nominated Sarah Palin to be his running mate in his Presidential campaign.
Sarah Palin - Becoming Governor
In 2006 Sarah Palin took on the incumbent Republican Governor of Alaska and eventually went on to defeat the Democratic challenger to become Governor.
Sarah Palin - Entering Politics
Sarah Palin's first foray into politics was in 1994 as part of the city council in Wasilla, Alaska. And in 1996 she decided to run for Mayor of Wasilla
Sarah Palin - Early Life
Sarah Palin's early life in Alaska was shaped by family, faith and the community around her.
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Play NowSarah Palin. (2013). The Biography Channel website. Retrieved 08:00, May 25, 2013, from http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398.
Sarah Palin. [Internet]. 2013. The Biography Channel website. Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398 [Accessed 25 May 2013].
"Sarah Palin." 2013. The Biography Channel website. May 25 2013, 08:00 http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398.
"Sarah Palin," The Biography Channel website, 2013, http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398 [accessed May 25, 2013].
"Sarah Palin," The Biography Channel website, http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398 (accessed May 25, 2013).
Sarah Palin [Internet]. The Biography Channel website; 2013 [cited 2013 May 25] Available from: http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398.
Sarah Palin, http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398 (last visited May 25, 2013).
Sarah Palin. The Biography Channel website. 2013. Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/sarah-palin-360398. Accessed May 25, 2013.
Contents
Family Struggles
As she engaged in more interviews, the media—and the public—became more dubious of Paliln's credentials. Palin's performance in an interview with Katie Couric was widely criticized; publications such as The Huffington Post cited the candidate's inability to cite examples of John McCain's support for financial regulation. ("I'll try to find some [examples] and bring them to you," she told Couric.) After this interview, Palinl's poll numbers steeply declined, and many Republicans expressed concern that she was becoming a political liability for McCain.
In addition to her hurdles as a public speaker, Palin also faced a public image crisis when her teenage daughter, Bristol, announced that she was pregnant out of wedlock. Palin's pro-life stance made an example out of her daughter and, on September 1, 2008, during the 2008 Republican National Convention, it was announced that Bristol was pregnant and engaged to the baby's father, Levi Johnston. Johnston denied that he was pressured into the wedding, telling reporters that he and Bristol "were planning on getting married a long time ago with or without the kid. That was the plan from the start."
Media Star
McCain and Palin lost the 2008 presidential election, and Palin returned to her home state of Alaska to finish her term as governor. On July 3, 2009, Sarah Palin announced her resignation as governor, however, and fuelled speculation that she planned to run for president in 2012. She cited the ethics complaints, a series of financially draining lawsuits, and a desire not to become a lame duck governor as a few of the many reasons for her resignation. Shortly after leaving office, Palin published her autobiography, Going Rogue: An American Life (2010). The book became an instant success, selling more than two million copies. That same year, she signed a long-term contract to be a political commentator for the Fox News Channel and penned a deal for her own television show, Sarah Palin's Alaska, on the TLC network. The reality show, which chronicled Palin's travels through the Alaska wilderness, garnered 5 million viewers—a record number for the network. Despite the show's popularity, TLC announced that they would not be renewing Palin's contract for a second season. This renewed speculation that Palin planned to run for President in 2012.
After she stepped down from political office, Palin became associated with the Tea Party movement, a generally conservative and libertarian group that endorsed reduced government spending, lower taxes, and a closer adherence to the original U.S. Constitution. She endorsed a handful of successful Tea Party candidates in the 2010 mid-term elections, and also launched the "Pink Elephant Movement", which she started as a way to endorse female GOP candidates.
Palin authored a second book, America by Heart, which was released in November 2010.
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Influential Women of Washington
View groupWhen the 19th Amendment was ratified, women were finally given the right to vote, and over the years many courageous women have stepped onto the national political stage as well. In 1916, Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to Congress and almost a century later Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latina woman to serve on the Supreme Court. And within the last two decades, the esteemable Hillary Clinton has served as First Lady, a New York senator and Secretary of State. These women, and many more, are setting the stage for the future of female leaders in Washington.
Visit Biography.com's Women's History group to explore more biographies, photos and videos of some the world's most fascinating women."
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View groupWhen it comes to the campaign trail, these politicians aren't just hungry for votes, they're also hungry for the regional grub... (although, considering they are indeed politicians, they probably know that being seen gorging at a local eatery doesn't hurt in the PR factor). Explore our photographic homage on the art of political eating and realize that at least in this arena, all parties can come to an agreement that it does their image good. Click here for photo gallery: http://ow.ly/dsxzd
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