Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska who vaulted onto the national stage as John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate in 2008, remains one of the most recognizable and debated figures in modern American politics. More than a decade after her meteoric rise, she continues to occupy a unique space in the public consciousness—part political pioneer, part media personality, and part enduring cultural symbol.

At the height of her ascent, Palin was widely seen as a youthful, outspoken reformer with a populist appeal. A former beauty queen turned small-town mayor and then Alaska’s youngest and first female governor, she embodied a sharp contrast to traditional Washington figures. Her historic nomination as the Republican Party’s first female vice-presidential candidate instantly transformed her into a national force, drawing intense admiration, scrutiny, and controversy in equal measure.