"The people of Alaska, many of them got tired of the ego issues out there with longer-term federal and state officials and said enough is enough," said John Harris, the Republican speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives.
But he added that Palin has proved to be, as she was in Wasilla, "not a great communicator." She has alienated enough Republicans that "without a very large contingent of Democrats supporting her positions, she can't get anything accomplished," Harris said.
Palin is also embroiled in an ongoing investigation over the firing of the state public safety commissioner, who said he was pressured by Palin's husband and her staff to fire Palin's former brother-in-law. The former brother-in-law, a state trooper, has been involved in a messy divorce and child custody dispute with the governor's sister.
McCain campaign surrogates were spreading the word Friday that Palin would appeal to women because of her ability to juggle five children and her political career.
Her bookends, the oldest and the youngest, have made this a bittersweet season for Palin.
Her oldest, Track, joined the Army last Sept. 11 and will depart for Iraq shortly. Her youngest, Trig, was born this spring with Down syndrome, a condition his parents were aware of before his birth.
"Many people will express sympathy, but you don't want or need that, because Trig will be a joy. You have to trust me on this," the Anchorage Daily News said she wrote in an e-mail to relatives and friends, in the voice of "Trig's Creator, your Heavenly Father."
Palin's evangelical faith shapes her social views; she opposes abortion and believes creationism should be taught in public schools.
The vice presidential selection came as a surprise not only to the political establishment but to Palin's family. A CBS News producer said Chuck and Sally Heath were called Friday morning by Palin's husband and told to "listen to the radio."
This spring, when the governor's name surfaced as a potential running mate, Palin told the Anchorage paper that her advantage was that she happened to "fit a demographic" in the Republican Party.
"That's the reality," she said. "It's gender, it's age, it's kind of the maverick being from the outside."
On Friday she was as far on the inside as she could get.
--
cathleen.decker@latimes.com
michael.finnegan@latimes.com
Times staff writers Mark Z. Barabak, Kim Murphy and Maura Reynolds contributed to this article.
