Sarah Palin, while serving as governor of Alaska, was nominated as the first female candidate of the Republican Party for Vice President of the United States. Following the nomination, her public image came under close media scrutiny, particularly regarding her religious perspective on public life, her socially conservative views, and a perceived lack of experience. Palin's experience in foreign and domestic politics came under criticism among conservatives as well as liberals following her nomination.John F. Harris and Beth Frerking."Clinton aides: Palin treatment sexist"; Politico, September 11, 2008 A poll taken by Rasmussen Reports just after the Republican National Convention in the first week of September 2008 found that Palin was more popular than either Barack Obama or John McCain; however, this perception later reversed. At the same time, Palin became more popular among Republicans than McCain."Palin More Popular With GOP Voters Than McCain" . Rasmussen Reports. November 4, 2008. A February 2010 ABC News/Washington Post poll showed 71% of Americans felt Palin lacked the qualifications necessary to be President of the United States.Mcauliff, Michael. "Poll reads Palin's palm: no chance in 2012; 71% of Americans don't think she's qualified to be prez", The New York Daily News, February 11, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
Qualifications for higher office
Prior to the Republican National Convention, a Gallup poll found that most voters were unfamiliar with Sarah Palin. 39% said she is ready to serve as president if needed, 33% said she is not, and 29% had no opinion. This was "the lowest vote of confidence in a running mate since the elder George Bush chose then-Indiana senator Dan Quayle to join his ticket in 1988."
Republicans cited her tenure in executive office, high popularity, past focus on ethics and energy issues, her personal life, as well as her command of the Alaska National Guard and Alaska's proximity to foreign countries among reasons for the choice of Sarah Palin.
Suitability for Vice President Criticism focused on her limited foreign policy experience and work on major policy issues and claims of low amount of actual responsibility as well as alleged misconduct during her time in office. Her readiness to step in should the president be incapacitated was also questioned.
Suitability for President A February 2010 poll for ABC News and The Washington Post showed 71% of Americans felt Palin lacked the qualifications necessary to be President of the United States. In a poll in October 2010, the number dropped to 67%, with 27% seeing her as qualified and with self-described Tea party members split evenly.
Foreign policy experience Sarah Palin cited Alaska's proximity to Russia and her dealings with foreign trade delegations as showing her the importance of foreign policy. Palin later agreed that her comments were "mocked" and reiterated her view that this proximity enhanced her foreign policy credentials. Her interviews and particularly her response to explaining the Bush Doctrine as Bush's "worldview" were criticized. Subsequently, a survey found likely voters were divided on whether Palin had the personality and leadership qualities a president should have.
Impact on the 2008 election After announcing Palin as the presumptive vice-presidential nominee, the McCain campaign received $7 million in contributions in a single day, and the Obama campaign garnered more than $8 million by the next day. During the campaign, Palin evoked a more strongly divided response than Joe Biden among voters and was viewed both more favorably and unfavorably when compared to her opponent. A plurality of the television audience rated Biden's performance higher at the 2008 vice-presidential debate. Following the presidential election, 69% of Republicans felt Palin had helped John McCain's bid, while 20% felt Palin hurt. In the same poll, 71% of Republicans stated Palin had been the right choice.
Perceptions of Palin's political positions
Energy and environment Environmental organizations, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club Alaska, and Greenpeace strongly opposed Palin's positions on issues of energy and environment and criticized Palin for her skepticism regarding humans as the cause of global warming and her administration's positions on wildlife, including the attempt to have the federal designation of the polar bear as a threatened species removed. They also criticized Palin's support of oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Religion in public life After being nominated, Palin's religious views came under scrutiny from the media. Palin had been involved in Independent Charismatic circles and was a member of an NAR "spiritual warfare network" linked to prophet Cindy Jacobs, through which she was reportedly encouraged to go into politics. A video, filmed at the Wasilla Assemblies of God church, of dominionist New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) preacher Thomas Muthee praying that God would protect Palin from witchcraft was released during the campaign, also leading to critique. Her connection with the NAR led its leaders, particularly figurehead C. Peter Wagner, to see her as a political force for their movements. Wagner later expressed concern that Palin's NAR ties and the media's negative reaction to the Muthee video may have led to the campaign's loss.
Palin spoke to a group of graduating ministry students at her former church, where she urged them to pray "that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God," and in the same remarks asserted that "God's will" was responsible for the Alaskan national gas pipeline project.
Following the Republican National Convention, the McCain campaign told CNN that Palin "doesn't consider herself Pentecostal," raising the possibility for commentators that she might be downplaying her faith. A Rassmussen poll taken after the convention found that Palin was a draw with Catholic voters; the poll found that 54% favored Palin and 42% found her unfavorable, a 12% difference, while Joe Biden was viewed favorably by 49% to 47%.
Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matt Brooks commented: "As governor of Alaska, Palin has enjoyed a strong working relationship with Alaska's Jewish community. She has demonstrated sensitivity to the concerns of the community and has been accessible and responsive." The Republican Jewish Coalition publishes a page on its website debunking what it calls "smears" about Sarah Palin, as well as an endorsement from Governor Linda Lingle, Hawaii's first Jewish and first female governor."Smears Debunked: The Truth about Gov. Sarah Palin ", Republican Jewish Coalition, September 9, 2008.
Women's issues On September 16, 2008, the National Organization for Women (NOW) gave its endorsement in the presidential race to Democratic candidate Barack Obama and his running mate Joe Biden. The Independent of London reported: "The feminist organisation almost never supports a presidential candidate, but the Alaska governor's Christian fundamentalist faith and her opposition to abortion rights has forced its hand."Leonard Doyle.'Hillary's women' reject McCain's VP choice"; The Independent September 17, 2008 Gandy explained, "as the chair of NOW's Political Action Committee, I am frequently asked whether NOW supports women candidates just because they are women. This gives me an opportunity to once again answer that question with an emphatic 'No.' We recognize the importance of having women's rights supporters at every level but, like Sarah Palin, not every woman supports women's rights."Jon Nichols. "Clinton Praises Palin Pick" ; The Nation, August 30, 2008 The conservative magazine The Weekly Standard responded asserting "the old-fashioned feminists have fallen back on the old theme of false consciousness; that women who don't agree with them aren't really women at all."Noemie Emery."The Palin Effect "; Weekly Standard, September 2008, Volume 014, Issue 03
Teen pregnancy According to a blog published by the Christian Broadcasting Network, Palin retained the support of Evangelicals following her daughter's conception of a child outside of wedlock: "First they hear that Sarah Palin chooses the life option even though she had a Down Syndrome baby and once again the family (and Bristol) has chosen the life option in this recent case... Will there be some turned off by the whole pre-marital sex thing? Of course but this type of story doesn't sink her at all with Evangelicals." Evangelical leader Richard Land said of Palin's seventeen-year-old daughter's pregnancy, "Those who criticize the Palin family don't understand that we don't see babies as a punishment but as a blessing."
Bill O'Reilly expressed support for Palin: "As long as society doesn't have to support the mother, father or baby, it is a personal matter."
Hillary Clinton "Hillary is missing in action from the Palin-hating brigade," opined a writer for The Weekly Standard. Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton referred to Palin's VP nomination as "historic,""Palin Thinks Obama Regrets Not Choosing Clinton for VP" ; ET, September 12, 2008 stating, "We should all be proud of Governor Sarah Palin's historic nomination, and I congratulate her and Senator McCain.... While their policies would take America in the wrong direction, Governor Palin will add an important new voice to the debate." Wisconsin Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin expressed a different view: "To the extent that this choice represents an effort to court supporters of Hillary Clinton's historic candidacy, McCain misjudges the reasons so many voters rallied around her candidacy. It was Senator Clinton's experience, skill and commitment to change, especially in the areas of health care and energy policy, that drew such strong support. Sarah Palin's opposition to Roe v. Wade and her support of big oil will not draw Democrats from the Obama-Biden ticket."Jon Nichols. "Clinton Praises Palin Pick" ; The Nation, August 30, 2008 The president of NOW, Kim Gandy, said: "What McCain does not understand is that women supported Hillary Clinton not just because she was a woman, but because she was a champion on their issues. They will surely not find Sarah Palin to be an advocate for women."