Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is the former governor of Alaska and was John McCain's unexpected choice for vice presidential running mate in the 2008 election. Since leaving office in July 2009, Palin has founded a conservative political action committee, SarahPAC, and extensively utilizes Facebook and Twitter to communicate with supporters; she also provides commentary and analysis for the Fox News Channel. Palin became the first female vice presidential candidate in Republican Party history and the second in US history. Palin’s Pentecostalism and strong social conservatism stoked controversy throughout the 2008 campaign. However, Palin largely shied away from speaking about religion, discussing her beliefs and their influence on her politics almost exclusively when she was asked about them. She is the author of the autobiographical Going Rogue: An American Life (2009) and America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag (2010).