Sarah Palin: From running with McCain to supporting Trump

Long before Donald Trump reached the White House, Alaska governor Sarah Palin was the harbinger of a new type to make US politics that continues to this day.

Palin, born in Idaho in 1964, became the first woman elected as Governor of Alaska, serving between 2006 and 2009.

Many political commentators were surprised when Palin was picked to be John McCain’s running mate in the 2008 US Presidential Election.

It’s possible that the Republican Party thought the young, approachable Alaskan would make McCain’s presidential campaign more dynamic, energetic, and closer to the average voter. Perhaps they got more than they expected?

The Alaska politician quickly caught the media’s attention with comments such as being able to see Russia from her house, probably her most memorable quote.

However, this is a misquotation. Palin actually told Charlie Gibson from ABC News that “They're our next-door neighbors, and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska.”

Perhaps we were thinking of Tina Fey playing Sarah Palin on SNL? Like Will Farrell’s take on George W. Bush, it’s a bit difficult to separate the two in people’s minds.

Barack Obama ended up winning the 2008 Presidential Election and served two terms. But what happened to Palin afterward?

Palin returned to Alaska, where she resigned as Governor in July 2009. The former VP candidate defended herself from critics, claiming that she’s “not a quitter, but a fighter”.

However, Palin has remained an active personality in conservative politics and in the media. From starring on a TLC reality show titled ‘Sarah Palin’s Alaska’ to singing in 'The Masked Singer'.

Image: Fox

The former Alaska Governor is also a regular commentator on Fox News. She even coined the term “death panels”, arguing that under ObamaCare a committee would decide whether sick or elderly patients should be treated or left to die.

The Alaska politician became a prominent speaker of the Tea Party Movement, a radical faction within the Republican Party. During a rally, she called the movement “the future of politics in America”.

The former VP candidate also published in November 2009 an autobiography: ‘Going Rogue: An American Life’, with sales of the book exceeding the million-copy mark within the first weeks. Since then, she has published a few more books.

Palin supported several Republican candidates during the 2010 midterms, including Nikki Haley for the nomination of Governor of South Carolina.

The former Alaska governor also was an early supporter of Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican nomination.

In turn, Trump gave Palin his support for the 2022 Alaska's at-large congressional district special election. She lost the election, thanks to the divisions within the local Republican Party.

Still, this hardly seems the last we’ll hear about Sarah Palin.