McCain Taps Alaska Governor Palin as Vice Presidential Running Mate
State's First Female Governor Brings Youth, Conservative Appeal to GOP Ticket
Palin Bring Strong Conservative Credentials to McCain Ticket
McCain's Palin pick should please conservatives but she will be immediately challenged as an inexperienced candidate for a job that is a heartbeat away from the presidency.
McCain's senior adviser Mark Salter tried to dismiss such criticism citing her experience as the chief executive of her state, commander of Alaska's National Guard, and "an actual record of fighting corruption, business as usual and taking on big oil unlike the Democratic presidential nominee, who only pretends he has. I'd say that's more credentials than the top of the other ticket."
Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House Democratic Whip, told South Carolina ETV Radio that the pick was "risky" and would prove to be as embarrassing to McCain as Dan Quayle was to former President George H.W. Bush.
Tough Political Fighter in Alaska
Palin's reputation for being a tough political infighter has been earned largely by battling her own party rather than Democrats.
As mayor of the tiny city of Wasilla -- population a little more than 8,000 -- she was dubbed the "Barracuda," reviving the moniker she had earned on the Wasillia High School basketball team for her aggressive style of play. That team went on to win the state championship in 1982.
As mayor, she was just as fierce, firing department heads who disagreed with her or stood by her predecessor.
Palin continued a reputation for a hard nosed style as she moved up in Alaskan politics.
In 2003, she was appointed to the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and within a year forced the resignation of a fellow commissioner on an ethics violation. That commissioner was also chairman of Alaska's Republican Party.
She later joined with a Democratic state representative to file an ethics complaint against the state attorney general Gregg Renkes, also a Republican who had close ties to Gov. Murkowski. The attorney general eventually resigned.
Palin herself has come under scrutiny recently.
An inquiry has begun into whether Palin fired the state's public safety director because he blocked Palin for dismissing a state trooper who was once married to Palin's sister.
The governor has denied that she tried to have the trooper dismissed, and said the pubic safety director was fired because he wasn't aggressive enough in fighting crime. She also dismissed suggestions that it should affect her chances to be McCain's running mate.
"It shouldn't disqualify me from anything," she told CNBC's "Kudlow and Co." last month.
Palin has accused the energy industry of corrupting Alaskan politics, but she has also fought to open up Alaska to additional drilling, a move that McCain has opposed.
Palin's blunt style was display in the "Kudlow and Co." interview as she voiced her support for McCain by saying, "I think we need McCain in the White House despite still the close-mindedness on ANWR. I think he's going to get there, though."
She also suggested that someone would have to convince her to take VP slot.
"As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell ya, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me, what is it exactly that the VP does every day. I'm used to being very productive and working real hard and in administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position," she told the show.
Alaska's Female Governor Joins McCain as Vice Presidential Contender
Palin is the model of a self-sufficient Alaskan.
Besides being a two-term mayor of Wasilla, she was also crowned Miss Wasilla in 1984 and later competed to be Miss Alaska. After her son Trig was born in April, she skipped a maternity leave and went right back to work.
She eloped to marry Todd Palin, 42, so they wouldn't have the expense of a lavish wedding. As spouse to the governor, Todd Palin refers to himself as Alaska's "First Dude," but is better known as the winner of this year's Tesoro Iron Dog, billed as the longest, toughest snowmobile race in the world.
Todd Palin, who is part Yu'pik Eskimo, spent his career working in Alaska's oil fields and fisheries.
He's taken some college courses, but does not have a degree.
Since his wife has been governor, Mr. Palin has spent his time doing the cooking and chauffeuring their four older children which include a son, Track, 18, and three daughters, Bristol, 16, Willow, 12, and Piper, 6.
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