(CNN) - Last August, then-Republican presidential nominee John McCain introduced to the nation his surprise pick for vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
At the time, little was known about the fresh-faced, first-term governor, but within days, Palin's face was on newspapers, magazines and tabloids.
Since then, Palin has become a polarizing figure in the Republican Party. Her passionate supporters are countered with equally fervent critics.
And even though it's been nearly a year since she ventured onto the national stage and more than eight months since the Republican ticket lost the election, as Palin prepares to leave office, the public's interest in her has yet to wane. Palin explains why she's stepping down
"She's kind of a shooting star that caught fire and kept burning," said Lorenzo Benet, an assistant editor for People magazine and author of "Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin."
"When she walks into a room, she definitely commands attention and she gets more than most. She's definitely a star," said Benet, who was the only national journalist to have spent much time with Palin in the weeks before she was announced as McCain's running mate.
Palin, a mother of five, "caught the imagination" of the public because there is no one else like her, Benet said. "Particularly for conservative America, there hasn't been a rallying figure of this type," he noted.
From CNN Politics
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she is still a loser not to mention a quitter however ways anybody want to spin it.
Although I have never been an avid Sara Palin fan, I keep asking myself why would the Liberals hate her so much? Then I think, she had a child with special needs and did not abort, she demanded fiscal responsibility for her State, she aspired to weed out corruption within her own party, she is an attractive woman and she has charisma in the white community much akin to the Usurper in Chief. I have never seen anything equal to the personal attacks carried out by the media on any politician in my lifetime. As an American citizen, I stopped looking at Obama beyond his failure to provide the American people full and open documentation supporting his being a legitimate Presidential candidate as defined by our Constitution, would not feel any difference if he were Ronald Reagan or John F. Kennedy. You have to earn this American's trust Mr. Obama!
She walks into a room and commands attention?
Apparently the reporter is enamored with this woman. She commands nothing. At best she is a quitter. I would never ever consider voting for someone who violated the public trust as she has. She simply is not intelligent enough for real politics in the real world.
Sex sales regardless of who is selling it, some or most will go for it.
Palin will become a TV personality and will maybe campaign for the republicans but will no run for office, I do not believe.
Maybe the right wing has more clout than I think. I know they have the money for George W. Bush made sure that they increased their net worth by the millions while the middle class was losing buying power and more of the lower end of the pay scale and the really poor had to rely on food banks, food stamps and family to get the bare necessities of life.
Say what you will, Palin is here to stay and not undaunted by the liberal left and their constant attacks. Obviously driven by fear that a Republican woman may be the next president and not a Democrat woman.
And here I thought the GOP feels like "celebrity" is a bad thing ..... I gues not when a Republican is the celebrity.
That's the problem with that party ... they have no honor, no integrity, no morals, no scrupples ... truly is the PARTY OF NO.
They do however have plenty of HIPOCRACY.
Let the Palin bashing begin... thats what the Dems do on this site when a Palin article is published, right?
Can anyone tell me who might be running against Nancy Pelosi in 2010. I'd like to know where to send a campaign contribution.
On Palin..shake it up girl.
Palin may have conservatives convinced she's the Messiah (she did sign her birth announcement for Trig, 'your heavenly Father,') but fortunately, the rest of us read and write and speak English, not Palinese. She has lied, been unethical, and not one thing is ever her fault. I think we had enough of that behavior in the last administration. She will not hold national office, and I pray that if a Republican is finally back in the White House, she will be long gone tending to her family affairs.
A shooting star? Yes, but they tend to fizzle out eventually.
Stop reporting on Palin, she's old news!
If only it was the curtain call...She has two options at this point:
1. Run against Murkowski for the Senate seat and hope she wins.
2. Run for President in 2012.
If she does option # 1, she can then wait till 2016, or beyond to run for office, if she runs in 2012 though and she loses, she is done. I highly doubt she'd even get the nomination. I want to see Obama face an opponent who is competent.
Obama vs. Romney 2012
She garners attention like an auto accident, we all like to gawk at the damage. Please, somebody explain, why the GOP would nominate a person with so little experience besides her school board, small town mayor and half a term of Gov. in a remote State, for President of the United States.
The best this woman can hope for is to become another Coultergeist.
But if the Republican "let's pretend" machine pretends hard enough, maybe she'll be their 2012 nominee and then she'll preside over the end of the GOP as we've come to know it.
Are there not more important issues in this world?
Iraq?
Iran?
Afganistan?
North Korea?
Health Care?
Economy?
Education?
Just to name a few. Can we hear more on these topics as opposed to a politican who quit her job as governor to free her time to keep herself, her neanderthal ideas and her (dysfunctional) family in the news.
What a shame. I was hoping I'd never have to hear her name again.
Falin Palin
Republicans, can you come up with some better candidates for 2012?
The only thing Palin was good for was eye candy to aging men and young boys who are into the MILF thing. She needs to go ahead, quit, do a couple adult movies, and then get spit out the bottom of the business like the rest of the talking heads she represents. What a nut.
I lost all interest in Sarah Palin about 5 min. after I heard she would be McCain's ticket mate.
who cares about sarah palin, she must just stay in Alaska forever....
Don't worry DEMS, she'll be back......
The latest rumor in the entertainment industry is that Sarah Palin is getting her own TV show. Experts say it is perfect for TV viewers who find Paula Abdul too coherent. - Conan O'Brien
syfredrick
Why are you so afraid of Sarah Palin–I think that you and all the liberals continually watch CNN for any tidbit of information about her and as soon as you see it–you hurry and put in your 2 cents worth. Sarah Palin resigned because she can do the country more good by being a private citizen than she can being Govenor of Alaska. Hang around, (and I know you will) and watch. She will be getting under the liberals skin even more now. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Obama's star is fading... Sarah Palin is the supernova that will save America!! People just need to get over their misinformed pride of voting in an inexperienced empty suit trained in corrupt Chicago politics.
Okay, okay liberals we get that you hate her. Yet you cannot clearly explain the reasons for the hate other than her politics, WHICH by the way she is entiltled to! You are entitled to your hate but I am sure Palin is losing lots of sleep over it! NOT!
Isn't it newsworthy that a writer of a biography of Sarah Palin has something to say. She's a waste of good paper and has no chance to "rise" into politics. She's a certifiable nut job. .... and Benet is trying to sell a book about the nut job. UGH!