Getting To Know Sarah Palin
For those that have been detached from current events this morning, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been chosen to be John McCain’s running mate. I personally am very excited about this. I thought the possibility of her being McCain’s VP choice was a long shot, but I’ve been rooting for her. Let’s take a moment to get to know her a bit better.
Sarah Palin’s Biography
Sarah Heath Palin was born February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint, Idaho so her age is 44. She is the current Governor of Alaska. In addition to being Alaska’s first female governor, and its youngest, Palin is also the first who was born after Alaska achieved statehood.
Sarah Heath Palin arrived in Alaska with her family in 1964, when her parents came to teach school in Skagway. She graduated from Wasilla High School in 1982 and received a bachelor of science degree in communications-journalism from the University of Idaho in 1987.
Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996 and became a two-term mayor and manager of Wasilla, one of Alaska’s fastest-growing communities. She was in office from 1996 to 2002. Governor Frank Murkowski appointed Palin as Ethics Commissioner on the state’s Oil and Gas Conservation Commission where she served from 2003 to 2004, later resigning in protest over what she perceived to be the “lack of ethics” of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders including the Republican Party Chairman.
In 2006, Palin won the Republican primary for Governor, defeating then-Gov. Frank Murkowski. She went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Governor Tony Knowles. Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three focuses of her administration.
In a recent guest blog, Governor Palin spoke about comprehensive energy policy that includes increased domestic production of oil and gas, renewable and alternative energy, and conservation. You can read it here.
Palin is married to Todd Palin, who is a lifelong Alaskan, a production operator on the North Slope and a four-time champion of the Iron Dog, the world’s longest snow machine race.
Todd and Sarah fish in Bristol Bay with their children – Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and newborn son, Trig. Through Todd’s Yup’ik grandmother, Alaska’s Native heritage plays an important role in their family. Track enlisted in the U.S. Army on Sept. 11, 2007.
Prior to taking office, Palin served on numerous boards and commissions throughout the state. She was active in her family’s pursuits – including serving as a sports team mom and school volunteer. She also runs marathons.
Palin is a lifetime member of the NRA and enjoys hunting, fishing, and time with her family.
Sarah Palin Quotes
Free-Market:
“I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive project emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process.”
Guns and Hunting:
“I am a lifetime member of the NRA, I support our Constitutional right to bear arms and am a proponent of gun safety programs for Alaska’s youth….I have always strongly supported the personal use of fish and game by Alaskans. I grew up hunting and fishing in Alaska, and I am proud to raise my children with this same uniquely Alaskan heritage. … Anti-hunting groups who oppose hunting and fishing rights will be the winners if we allow them to pit us against ourselves….As an Alaskan with strong beliefs on this issue, I am confident in my ability to build consensus among diverse user groups and reconcile the many competing interests in a manner.”
Small Business:
“As Mayor and CEO of the booming city of Wasilla, my team invited investment and encouraged business growth by eliminating small business inventory taxes, eliminated personal property taxes, reduced real property tax mill levies every year I was in office, reduced fees, and built the infrastructure our businesses needed to grow and prosper.”
Military:
“I respect our military personnel and understand the importance of Alaska’s National Guard. As I watched our military men and women being deployed I recognized how important it is for their families to know how much Alaska and America support them.”
Health Care:
“I support flexibility in government regulations that allow competition in health care that is needed, and is proven to be good for the consumer, which will drive down health care costs and reduce the need for government subsidies. I also support patients in their rightful demands to have access to full medical billing information.”
Social Issues:
“I am pro-life and I believe that marriage should only be between and man and a woman.”
Environment:
“Regimes to protect Stellar Sea Lions must be based on sound science not personal agendas…I will fight in every way possible to make sure that our fishing communities are protected from the personal agendas of federal fishery managers”
“I believe in protecting Alaska’s environment through fair enforcement of our environmental laws. Having a clean record on environmental regulation is critical to getting ANWR open and maintaining our fisheries mining, timber, and tourism industries.”
Other Stuff About Sarah
From The Weekly Standard:
The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they’ve overlooked the one shining victory in which a Republican star was born. The triumph came in Alaska where Sarah Palin, a politician of eye-popping integrity, was elected governor. She is now the most popular governor in America, with an approval rating in the 90s, and probably the most popular public official in any state.
Gov. Palin on the Glenn Beck Program:
From Stop overTaxing Our People:
She almost singlehandedly stopped the Alaska GOP from imploding like Ohio’s in the last election. She did it by making a career of standing for the people and being a crusader against corruption. She has a 90% approval rating. She is the embodiment of the modern conservative that I described on Dovercitizen. The establishment hates her. The people love her.
She is a fiscal conservative in government not just campaigns. She line itemed vetoed 13% of the state’s capital budget. She is uncompromisingly pro-life in a state which is lukewarm on the issue. She is pro-gun owner as is the rest of the state. Traditional wisdom says she might be controversial. Yes, the media, money and party establishments unloaded both barrels to on her in the primary and general elections. She won anyway. Now she is the most popular governor in America. Why? She is the only one with the courage to clean up government and fix the mess Republicans and Democrats left.
She is smart, honest, competent, outspoken, and courageous. Unfortunately, this is not the image of the typical Republican today. It should be. Gov. Palin may be charting the course back to the GOP being a majority party.
If only she were single.
Popularity: 19%
[...] Posted by Jeremy Sarber on August 29, 2008 For those that have been detached from current events this morning, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has been chosen to be John McCain’s running mate. I personally am very excited about this. I thought the possibility of her being McCain’s VP choice was a long shot, but I’ve been rooting for her. Let’s take a moment to get to know her a bit better. Read full article: Getting To Know Sarah Palin [...]
I believe this move will take McCain to The Oval Office. He needed something just like Mrs. Palin. This is exciting. I read her bio and I love her.
McCain has picked a woman with hardly any experience to be a heartbeat (literally) away from being the President. No one (well, mostly no one) has heard of this lady until today. By picking her, McCain has virtually thrown his arguement of Obama’s “no experience” out the window.
John McCain is clearly out of his mind, and that lady today said nothing to enhance an opinion of her. She’s already played the gender card out of the box, and she is also going to play McCain’s old War Card when she stated McCain was a Hero and she wasn’t going to let anyone forget it. So now, she can avoid questions by saying “Well, he was a POW.”
So in the end, I never had heard of this woman before today, and I bet when its all said and done, I’ll still wish I never had.
Tisk, tisk, Eric with Cheese. Didn’t your mother teach you to not be so quick to judge?
You’re seriously going to attempt to make an argument about the Republican party VP candidate’s experience when she already has more executive experience than the Democratic party’s Presidential candidate?
I have never liked John McCain and his views; I have never liked Barack Obama and his views. Now, however, I wish I could help elect this lady President of the United States. I believe she has a lot going for her…but I still don’t want to cast a vote that elects either of the front-running candidates. I am studying on this dilemma. As a side note, I believe John McCain is much smarter than I had originally thought. With his choice for running mate, he gave himself a shot at the Oval Office!
I had never heard about this woman before yesterday, but I did quite a bit of reading about her, and I have to say that I’m really excited too. Great choice, McCain.
In reading Joel 2, I saw this scripture and I said a hearty “AMEN!”
“Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.”
Joel 2:21 KJV
Great post, Jeremy. I think McCain made a great choice in Sarah Palin. There’s a lot of excitement in the Republican Party that was lacking on Thursday.
[...] Getting to Know Sarah Palin (biography) [...]
No, but I will make an arguement about her spitefulness leading to her being under investigation. Seems this was left out of her biography that Jeremy posted.
http://www.ktva.com/ci_10026165
I think an interesting piece of information was left out of her biography:
http://www.ktva.com/ci_10026165
And Jeremy, I am surprised you are accusing Eric of being quick to judge when you so quickly pass judgment on everything the democratic party does.
And she is most certainly not more experienced than Obama. She has been doing for 18 months what Obama has been doing for 8 years. I would hardly count her being a mayor as “executive experience” when speaking of the position of vice president.
I guess we no longer believe in innocent until proven guilty.
No, we do, but while you rattling off her biography, you should have at least mentioned this, since this is an important part of it. If not a lot of people know about it now, they will, guaranteed.
Of course I believe in innocent until proven guilty. However, how unwise to pick someone as their running VP when this has not been resolved. What if it ends up with a bad outcome? Then, his campaign is basically destroyed. It’s just common sense to not pick someone who is in the middle of being investigated.
And secondly, how can he talk about Obama’s lack of experience (or any McCain supporter for that matter) and then, choose her as his VP? John McCain is old. There’s a relatively decent chance he could die while he is president (if he won). You seriously think someone who was the mayor of a town of 9,000 people and has been a governor for less than 2 years could or should be the president of our country?
I think this was an incredibly unwise decision. I also feel that the only reason she was chosen is because she is a woman. The democrats have been running the either first man of black descent to run for president or the first woman to run for president. The republicans are responding by having the first woman to run to be vice president. Never mind that she has no idea what she’s doing.
Well, as Obama supporters, ya’ll should be thrilled he made such a bad decision. We’ll find out if the rest of America agrees in November.
I, also, know nothing about her. Let’s read, study, learn–we have a few months to question her. And, perhaps most importantly, let’s NOT elect her because: She is a woman, she is a mother, she had a son going to Iraq, she has a baby with Down Syndrome, she is relatively unknown. Let’s find out what she believes before we make the checkmark in the box in November.
Excuse me? Eric, Gov. Palin has more executive experience than Obama, Biden, and McCain. Obama’s experience in the Senate is known as legislative experience which is NOT the same as excecutive.
Obama took office in the U.S. Senate in January of 2005. So, that means he’s only been a U.S. Senator for… a little over 3 and a half years. About half of that time was spent campaigning for president, and from April of 2007 until now, Obama has missed 56% of U.S. Senate votes (67% since July of 2007). So, Presidential candidate Obama has had barely over 2 years of real legislative experience. Compare that to Palin’s “18 months” of executive experience, and Palin still comes out ahead. I want someone who can make decisions. Obama’s favorite “present” vote isn’t going to be an option in the Oval Office.
Unlike Obama, Palin actually has a legislative record, one that includes the cutting of budgetary spending by the government. She told Congress “thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere”, that ‘bridge’ which would have cost taxpayers over $400 millon dollars.
What does Obama have? Well, he voted “present” Over 100 times as a senator. The man has absolutely no executive experience, or legislative accomplishments. If we are going to use “experience” as a factor, Palin is much more qualified, having served as mayor for 10 years, and Governor for 2. And she’s running for the VP position, not the President’s. I really hope Obama brings her supposed ‘lack’ of experience to the table, because then everyone will have to see what blank suit he is.
I would not count being a mayor of a town of 9,000 people as “executive experience.”
Palin got upset when polar bears were added to the endangered species list because doing could screw with oil drilling in Alaska.
She wants creationism taught in public schools.
Her lack of experience is appalling, but her policies are even more so.
She lists being on the PTA as experience that is relevant to being potentially the president of the United States.
Bottom line, she is a woman. And they felt they would get more votes by having someone besides the typical white male politician.
Seriously, what I find most shocking is that despite this unbelievably ridiculous decision, McCain supporters are all excited like this was the best choice he could have made. Are people so blind?
What classifies as “legislative experience”? Are you guys also throwing in her years as a PTA member? How about the “fact” that Alaska is “so close” to Russia, hence giving her lots of foreign policy experience?
And as a decision maker, one of Palin’s most publicized decisions has led her to being investigated for abuse of power. Not bad for a mayor of a town of just over 9.000 people.
ConservativeWhietChick: She’s running for VP, but considering McCain’s health issues and age, the voting public is obligated to look at her record, and scrutinize her just as if she were running for the top job. Same thing with Joe Biden. So just because she’s running as a VP doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be very critical of her and ask the tough questions.
I’m going to the join the PTA so that someday, I can become president.
Leslie: ” I would not count being a mayor of a town of 9,000 people as “executive experience.” ”
What would you call it? Obama is constantly trying to appeal to the crowd as being a man of the common people and the little guy. I would personally call being mayor of a town of 9,000 people as having experience at being more in touch with the “common folks.” Plus, I didn’t even count that executive experience my previous comment.
Leslie: ” She wants creationism taught in public schools. ”
Good for her. I take it you prefer only evolution to be taught in schools (which is NOT a scientifically proven theory by any means)? It’s just what the standard science community has chosen to believe, because the majority of them are atheists. Too many schools and teachers teach evolution to be fact.
Leslie: ” Bottom line, she is a woman. And they felt they would get more votes by having someone besides the typical white male politician. ”
Obama has received a very significant amount of his support from the fact that he is black, and Hillary has received much of hers because she is a woman. I’m not saying that it’s the only reason anyone voted for them, but there is no arguing that fact. I think’s Palin is definitely qualified. So, yeah, I am glad that she’s also woman. Maybe some of those people who aren’t focusing on the policies of the candidates and are only concerned about trying to make history, will feel conflicted now and begin looking at the important aspects of the election.
Eric: ” She’s running for VP, but considering McCain’s health issues and age, the voting public is obligated to look at her record, and scrutinize her just as if she were running for the top job. Same thing with Joe Biden. So just because she’s running as a VP doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be very critical of her and ask the tough questions. ”
I agree. She should be asked the tough questions. However, if the Democrats think the public should scrutinize her, then the public should DEFINITELY scrutinize Obama AT LEAST (actually more) as much as Palin. Only Obama and McCain are GUARANTEED to be our next President.
Well over 80% of scientists believe in God. You are ignorant on the matter if you think the reason the scientific community accepts evolution is because most of them are atheists. And, this very ignorant idea that evolution necessitates atheism only shows that you have never bothered to even look at the evidence for evolution or what evolution even states, since it most certainly doesn’t necessitate atheism.
The evidence for evolution is VAST. That is why scientists believe it. What an insult to them for you to dismiss so much of their hard work and research, saying they just made this idea up. Scientists prize scientific integrity and keeping an open mind while reviewing the data.
I would recommend reading “The Language of God” by Francis Collins to better educate yourself on the matter. He is a devout Christian so you don’t have to worry about those evil atheist scientists feeding you lies.
I’ll tell you why evolution is taught as a fact. Because evolution is true, and it has been supported with MOUNTAINS of evidence. You only think this is untrue because you’ve never bothered to look at these mountains of evidence. We have personally witnessed evolution in our own lifetimes in a few areas around the world in animals with very short generations. We have the obvious relatedness of all living things. We have the fossil record. We have retrovirus evidence, probably the strongest evidence of all for long term evolution. Do you know why antibiotics and pesticides stop working on certain diseases or pests after a while? It is because of evolution.
Nothing is ever considered “proven” in science, which is why we still refer to evolution as a theory. However, calling it a theory doesn’t mean it’s just some idea. In science, something is not elevated to a theory until it has large amounts of evidence to support it. Yet, even though in science we never use the word proven, we do use the word disproven. The word “theory” in science does not mean the same thing as when we use it in every day language. So the “theory of evolution” does NOT mean there is no evidence for it and that it is just some idea.
Creationism is not a scientific theory. It has been disproven again and again. It has no place in the classroom in public schools. By the way, St. Augustine and many other church leaders throughout history said that the creation story in the Bible was not meant to be read as a literal story. And this was hundreds of years before Darwin even existed. The interpretation of Genesis as a literal story is quite recent.
Anyway, this means that Sarah Palin is making decisions about our educational system without having even taken the time to research the decision. Because if she did, she would see why creationism does not belong in a science classroom. I don’t want someone to potentially be president who doesn’t even do her homework on issues before making a decision about them.
May I assume you are willing to have all stories of the origins of life and the world from every single religion that has ever existed taught in science class?
Being in touch with normal, common people is good. But, not to the extent that one is severely unqualified for a job. Being on the PTA and being a mayor of a town of 9,000 can be good early experience, but certainly doesn’t qualify one to be the president of the United States.
Someone mentioned I should be glad he chose her if it is a bad idea. In a way, I am. I hope this makes him lose a lot of votes. But, on the other side, there are religious people who will vote for someone blindly over a few issues (abortion and gay people) without considering the many other issues that need consideration. This thread is a prime example of that, which I don’t mean that offensively, but that is how I view this thread. I am quite worried about McCain getting elected and dying while in office, leaving us with this woman as our president, who clearly does not know what she is doing.
Caleb, I agree. I think that Obama is being scrutinized very well by people and the press. The honeymoon for Obama-mania is over, and its time for the real issues to take center stage. My main point on here was that Sarah Palin is an unknown, and this original post was nothing but a love affair for her “accomplishments”, but glossed over some of the more controversial aspects of her political career.
I think she’s in for a really really tough road ahead, if the news coming out just today is any indication.
“Well over 80% of scientists believe in God.” – Leslie
Leslie, show me where you got your statistic on the number of scientists that believe in God. I’ll show you a statistic stated by one of your like believers-in-God-and-evolutionist who claims that only 40% believe in God. Notice the paragraph beginning with “Actually, I find no conflict here”. That really isn’t a statistic, but he’s only going on what the scientists he knows believes, I’m sure.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/03/collins.commentary/index.html
How about an article with some actual statistics? The following article on polled scientists at 21 top-rated research universities in the United States shows “More than 31 percent said they do not believe in God, and another 31 percent said they do not know if there is a God and there is no way to find out — a whopping 62 percent of those surveyed.” The 31% that said they don’t know whether God exists or not pretty much fall into the same category in my book. Only 9.7% of the remaining 38% said they have “no doubts about God’s existence.”
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3341576
I’m not claiming that you didn’t read your statistic from somewhere, but I would really like to know where you got that statistic from.
Your claim that I “have never bothered to even look at the evidence for evolution or what evolution even states” is wrong. My major of study is filled with nothing but science, and I’ve had my belly full of classes that teach evolution as fact. I’ll, in turn, give you some literature to “better educate yourself on the matter.” It gives some very good references too if what you read isn’t enough.
http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/FAQ42.html#wp1149132
Oh, and if you doubt his credentials, go back to the home page.
(This has really gone off-topic. I’ll postpone my crusade for Creationism vs. Evolutionism for now.)
Oh you silly joebama supporters. You’ve just gotten your feathers ruffled because the Rupblican party pulled a fast one and spoiled the high that the Democrats had from such “great” speeches by Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Hilary Rodham Clinton. Get ready for McCain/Palin because they’ve got a great shot at the White House.
Amanda, it is quite annoying when people are so unbelievably arrogant as to tell people how they feel and what they think.
Caleb, I would have to look up and find the stat again, I do not remember where I read it from. It was in the last 6 months, though.
I have read all kinds of information from creation websites that people have sent me. I have yet to see a single piece of information on those websites that is not twisted around or only a piece of the information with other parts missing to make it sound far different than what it actually is.
I’m not trying to get things too off topic, either, I don’t mean to hi-jack the thread. But it is quite relevant, considering the person this thread is about supports having a nonscientific idea-and in fact, one that has been disproven-taught in science classrooms across our country. If they ever did that, my children would never go to public schools.
I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you’ve truly had that much education on evolution if you think that creation science website is valid. I’ve been all over that site and found large amounts of wrong information that appears to be purposely twisted around.
Tonight is her big speech!
…and her big speech was very disappointing, not much of a follow-up to her first acceptance speech! However, I realize it will be hard to find out any REAL truths about any of the candidates now since they don’t care what they say or do–anything to garner votes before November. If only they would spend half as much time giving us their real stands on issues, rather than bashing opponents. It is so hard to make a concerned choice when we only know how much one candidate hates another. God help us all!
Well it seems like the only way to really get people fired up anymore is to tear down, mock and ridicule your opponent. Barack Obama and Joe Biden did it last week, Sarag Palin did it last night, and I’m sure John McCain will do so tonight. That’s the state of politics today. In the whole scheme of the voting public, a great number of people will vote not for someone, but *against* the other guy.
Right on Eric with Cheese! Only we can say, “Enough!”
When we judge a candidate’s experience, lets keep in mind that the two Americans with the most experience in all areas relative to POTUS are Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Does anyone want either again because they are so experienced? No? So much for experience. It’s time for someone new.
On the other hand, how much experience did Abe Lincoln have? A short term congressional representative? Bipartisan polorizer? Failure in business? So much for experience. Judgement and intellect trump experience.
One of the reasons we like candidates with experience is that we find out more about THEM by observing how they acted while gaining that experience. You’re right in that it doesn’t guarantee a candidate to be better than someone who, on the other hand, does not have experience, but it does increase our knowledge of how someone will likely act in certain situations. I suppose it becomes somewhat less of a gamble.