The hardscrabble icecap politics of The Last Frontier must have been too much for this shooting star. Conservatively speaking, of course.Sarah Palin stirred up the GOP base with her smile, winks, values talk, and her ability to relate to "regular folks" (read: white people).
She was without a doubt an American success story. Mother of five (or is it four or six - I can't keep count) becomes mayor and then governor in her home state. It was quirky and cool until the big fish left the small pond.
Yes Governor, you could see Russia from your home base. You just couldn't see the lower 48.
You could throw your weight around, usurp the legislature, create your own ethical roadmap, and make back-room deals all the way from Wasilla to Ketchikan - until America heard of you.
The national spotlight and Katie Couric's softball questions gave the Alaskan hockey mom a lot of Northern Exposure. She became a target for comedians, commentators, and even some conservatives as she continually put her foot in her mouth, and left a financial twister in her wake.
Palin burst on the scene on August 29, 2008 when Senator John McCain tabbed her as the wild card VP candidate the morning after Senator Barack Obama stirred up 70,000+ at Invesco Field in Denver and hundreds of millions worldwide.
Just over 10 months later, Palin resigned her post as the executive officer of the nation's least-populated state with a ton more name recognition and a lot more baggage.
Cash in those speaking engagements while you can. Your name was in the news cycle longer than Elian Gonzalez, but shorter than OJ Simpson. Your run for the White House was historic, but your footnote in history will be merely historical.
