Sarah Palin, a hockey mom and small-town mayor, thought her dream of making a difference in the male-dominated realm of Alaska politics was over when she clashed with the state chairman of her Republican Party and went head-to-head with the powerful Republican governor.In 2006 she became a long-shot candidate for governor, demanding a higher ethical standard in state government.
Then, fate intervened. Her populist reform message suddenly became front-page news when a major political scandal rocked Alaska politics. Alaskans began listening to her, and they liked what they heard.