| |
Sarah Palin
|
Barack Obama
|
| Office being
sought |
Vice President |
President of the
United States and Leader
of the Free World |
| Full name |
Sarah Louise Heath
Palin |
Barack Hussein Obama
II |
| Nickname |
Sarah Barracuda |
Barry Obama; "The
One" |
| Public
opinion |
Smoking hot
in a "naughty librarian"
sort of way |
May be The Messiah |
| Age |
44 |
48 |
| Children |
5: two sons, three
daughters |
2: two daughters |
|
Religion/Church
attendance |
Evangelical
Christian;
attends Juneau
Christian Center when in
Juneau and grew up
attending Wasilla
Assembly of God
|
Attended Trinity
United Church of Christ
for 20 years, a "black
liberation theology"
church formerly led by
Rev. Jeremiah Wright and
governed according to
the
Black Value System |
| Current Job |
Governor of Alaska |
Junior Senator from
Illinois |
| Previous
Public Jobs |
Mayor of Wasilla, AK
(1996-2002); President
of Alaska Conference of
Mayors;
City Council member
(1992-1996)
|
State Senator
(1997-2004);
Community Organizer
|
| Executive
Experience |
Governor for 2
years;
Mayor for 10 years
|
None |
| Foreign
Relations experience |
Governor of state
that borders two foreign
countries (Canada and
Russia) |
Chaired Senate
subcommittee on Europe
but never called it into
session;
once gave a speech to
200,000 screaming
Germans
|
| Military
Affairs experience |
Commander in Chief
of Alaska National
Guard;
Son is enlisted
Infantryman in U.S. Army
|
None |
| Private
Sector Experience |
Sports reporter;
Salmon fisherman
|
Associate at civil
rights law firm |
| Speaking
ability |
Beautifully executed
initial stump speech in
Dayton, OH hockey arena
without a teleprompter |
An enter...wait--did
you say without a
teleprompter?? |
| Spouse's
name |
Todd Mitchell Palin |
Michelle LaVaughn
Robinson Obama |
| Spouse's
occupation |
Salmon fisherman;
Former North Slope
production supervisor
for BP Oil
|
Vice President for
Community and External
Affairs at University of
Chicago Hospitals;
former Associate Dean
of Student Services at
the University of
Chicago;
former Executive
Director for the Chicago
office of Public Allies;
former Assistant to
the Mayor of Chicago;
former associate at
Sidley Austin law firm
|
| Reaction to
spouse's political
success |
Quit 17-year BP oil
job when BP became
involved in natural gas
pipeline negotiations
with wife's
administration |
Promoted and given
160% pay raise by UofC
hospitals within months
of husband's election to
U.S. Senate;
Employer received
$1,000,000.00 federal
earmark, requested by
husband, after her
promotion
|
| Coolest
thing about Spouse |
Tesoro Iron Dog
Snowmobile race champion
(longest snowmobile race
in the world);
In 2008, while
defending his
championship, was
injured when he was
thrown 70 feet from his
machine. He was sent to
the hospital but still
finished in fourth place
|
Sister of Oregon
State University head
basketball coach Craig
Robinson |
| Most
Courageous Moment in
Public Service |
Resigned in protest
from position of Ethics
Commissioner of Alaska
Oil and Gas Conservation
Commission in order to
expose legal violations
and conflicts of
interest of Alaska
Republican leaders,
including the former
state Attorney General
and the State GOP
Chairman (who was also
an Oil & Gas
Commissioner), who was
doing work for the party
on public time and
supplying a lobbyist
with a sensitive e-mail. |
Gave an anti-Iraq
war speech to a crowd of
anti-Iraq war
demonstrators in Hyde
Park in 2002 |
| In Current
Office Because... |
Upset sitting
Governor in GOP primary
due to public support
for her efforts to clean
up corrupt government
establishment |
Republican opponent,
who was leading in the
polls, was forced to
leave race after
unsealing of divorce
records exposed a sex
scandal |
| Theme: |
Change and Clean
Government |
Hope and Change;
"Bringing Change from
Outside Washington"
|
| What they've done
to live that theme: |
Replaced entire
Board of Agriculture and
Conservation because of
conflict of interest;
Resigned from
position of Ethics
Commissioner of the
Alaska Oil and Gas
Conservation Commission
in order to expose
corruption among members
of own party
|
Selected 36-year
incumbent Senator as
running mate |
| Family
Affairs |
May have removed
State Public Safety
Commissioner as part of
effort to protect sister
in messy divorce and
child custody battle |
Often says, "I am my
brother's keeper";
Brother lives in a
hut in Nairobi on $12
per year
|
| Union
affiliation |
Union member,
married to Union member |
Endorsed by a union |
| Iraq and
Troop Support |
Formerly (pre-surge)
critical of apparent
lack of long-term
strategy for Iraq;
Visited wounded U.S.
soldiers in Germany;
visited AK National
Guard soldiers deployed
to Kuwait;
Son deploying to Iraq
on 9/11/08 as Army
infantryman
|
Gave an anti-Iraq
war speech to a crowd of
anti-Iraq war
demonstrators;
almost visited
wounded troops in
Germany, but decided to
go shopping in Berlin
instead
|
|
Bipartisan/"maverick"
credentials |
Married to a
non-Republican;
Exposed corruption
within own party;
Campaigned for Lt.
Gov. Sean Parnell
against corrupt GOP
congressman Don Young;
Called out Sen Ted
Stevens (R-AK) to "come
clean" about financial
dealings that are under
fed investigation
|
Talks about
bipartisanship |
| Legislative
Record |
Passed a landmark
ethics reform bill;
Used veto to cut
budgetary spending;
Prevented "bridge to
nowhere" that would have
cost taxpayers $400
million dollars.
|
Voted "present" over
100 times as IL state
senator |
| How they
dealt with corrupt
individuals in home
city/state |
Exposed legal
violations and conflicts
of interest of Alaska
Republican leaders;
Campaigned against
corrupt GOP
Representative;
Ran against and
defeated corrupt
incumbent governor in
GOP primary
|
Launched political
career in home of
unrepentant domestic
terrorist Bill Ayers
(and still refers to him
as a part of "mainstream
Democratic Chicago";
Purchased home with
help of convicted felon
Tony Rezko
|
| Guns |
Lifetime member of
NRA and avid hunter;
video can be found on
YouTube of Palin firing
an M4 at a military
firing range
|
Worked to pass
legislation in Illinois
that would prevent all
law-abiding citizens
from owning firearms |
| Earmarks |
Opposed "Bridge to
Nowhere" project;
Said Alaska should
avoid relying on federal
money for projects;
Campaigned against
porker Don Young (R-AK)
in 2008 primary
|
Secured federal
earmarks for wife's
employer and for
campaign bundlers |
| Abortion |
Pro life;
gave birth to 5th
child knowing that he
would have Down's
syndrome
|
Pro-choice;
only IL state sen. to
speak against the Born
Alive Infant's
Protection Act, which
required medical care to
be given to live infants
who survived abortions
|
| Energy |
Believes energy
independence is a matter
of national security;
For drilling in ANWR,
which is in her state
|
Says Americans
should "get tune-ups"
and "check tire
pressure";
Says "we can't expect
the world to be okay
with" our use of heating
and air conditioning
|
| Environment |
Chair of Alaska
Conservation Commission
(2003-4);
Announced plans to
create sub-cabinet group
of advisors to address
climate change and
reduce greenhouse gas
emissions in AK
|
Talks about the
environment a lot |
| Athletic
prowess |
Runs marathons |
Has reporters
tailing him to the gym |
