Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964), the 11th Alaska state governor, is the U.S. Republican Party's presumptive vice presidential nominee for the 2008 United States presidential election. She was chosen by the party's presumptive presidential nominee, John McCain, in August 2008.
Before coming to national attention as McCain's running mate, Palin was elected governor of Alaska in 2006. Her political experience prior to this consisted of two terms as mayor/manager of Wasilla, Alaska (pop. about 9,000), from 1996 to 2002, and two terms as a Wasilla City Council member (1992-1996). She had also been a chair of the Alaska Conservation Commission which regulates oil and gas, and was president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
Politcal idealogy
She is politically conversative, an anti-abortionist, and a long-time memeber of the National Rifle Association. She touts herself as an anti-corruption leader, although she is currently under investigation for using her office to fire the boss of her former brother-in-law for refusing to fire her former brother-in-law.