In a surprise move, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain tapped Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Palin, who has been governor for 18 months, is unknown on the national stage, but is considered to be a rising star in the GOP. Some believe McCain’s pick is a savvy move meant to pick up the support of conservative women who want to crack that glass ceiling — without Hillary Clinton. Palin, who is strongly anti-abortion, will also be popular among evangelical voters. But Obama‘s camp was quick to pounce on her lack of significant experience: “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.” Whoever wins come November, we are guaranteed that 2009 will be a historical year with either America’s First Woman VP or first Black Commander in Chief.
Here’s 21 facts about Sarah Palin:
- Served as mayor of Wasilla, an Alaskan town of 6,500 people.
- Supports teaching creationism alongside evolution in schools.
- Hunts and eats moose hamburgers.
- Blew the whistle on Republican corruption in Alaska.
- Wants to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and threatened to sue the federal government for declaring polar bears an endangered species.
- Is a one-time beauty pageant queen, who won Miss Wasilla and finished second in Miss Alaska.
- Has five children.
- Is strongly anti-abortion — even in cases of rape or incest — and is respected by religious conservatives for choosing not to have an abortion after learning that she was carrying a child with Down syndrome.
- Opposes same-sex marriage.
- Was nicknamed “Sarah Barracuda” as a basketball player at Wasilla High School.
- Was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her high school.
- Is being investigated for possibly ordering the dismissal of Alaska’s safety commissioner because he wouldn’t fire her former brother-in-law as a state trooper.
- Has a degree in journalism from the University of Idaho.
- Is a lifetime member of the NRA.
- Calls her husband, a commercial fisherman and seasonal worker for BP, the “First Dude.”
- Is 44 years old, three years younger than Obama.
- Describes herself as “just your average hockey mom.”
- Posed for a photo spread in Vogue in 2007.
- Is pushing a natural gas pipeline that would run from Alaska to the lower 48 states.
- Supports capitol punishment.
- Admits to using marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says she didn’t like it.
