Sarah Palin's journey from obscurity

A matter of months ago, few people outside of Alaska had even heard of Sarah Palin - now she is an international house hold name. One way or another she has rarely been out of the headlines since she was nominated as John McCain's surprise running mate and presented at the Republican party conference in September. Elected as the first female Governor of Alaska in 2006, Palin initially gave McCainàs campaign a great boost. Her strong family values and her anti-abortion, pro-arms stances appeal to the traditionalist Republicans for whom McCain is indeed a maverick. Yesterday, a report contradicted an earlier inquiry and cleared Palin of violating ethics laws by trying to get her ex brother in law fired from the state police. But that and her lack of experience prompted some, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, to question McCain's choice. The revelation that she also spent 116,000 euros on her wardrobe did not go down well at a time when the financial crisis is costing many Americans their jobs and their homes. Nevertheless, Palin still draws huge crowds and retains much of her popularity. Even if this campaign doesn't make her the United State's first female Vice President, analysts say she is unlikely to disappear from our screens soon.

EuroNews | November 4, 2008

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