The making of the candidate

But the era of those men -- Sen. Ted Stevens, former Gov. Frank Murkowski and Rep. Don Young (author of the infamous "bridge to nowhere" earmark) -- was already drawing to a close when Palin in 2005 mounted her successful challenge to replace Murkowski as governor. An FBI probe, which culminated in a raid of legislators' offices in August 2006, resulted in criminal charges against a handful of legislators. Stevens is under indictment for failing to report gifts, and Young is defending himself against bribery charges.

Independents, now the largest bloc of Alaska voters, were tired of business as usual, and Palin was able to capitalize on their mood. Already, she had quit a $125,000-a-year job as chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission out of disgust for the back scratching she observed between the industry and her fellow commissioners.

"She was the right voice at the right time," said rental car executive Andrew Halcro, who ran as an independent against Palin and Democratic former Gov. Tony Knowles. "The previous governor had, like, a 20% approval rating. They were tired of this just relentless, brute, ignoring-the-public mentality. Then the FBI raids. All she had to do was show up . . . and she got elected."

What Alaskans got, as she rose from mayor of the small town of Wasilla to the governor's mansion, was a chief executive focused on two major issues: making oil and gas companies pay higher taxes and getting a controversial natural-gas pipeline built.

Many who have worked with her -- and against her -- say that in the case of the oil tax, she piggybacked on Democratic efforts that were well underway.

"There's always been a little bit of an air of an opportunist about the governor," said state Sen. Hollis French, a Democrat, who has been a strong advocate for the public getting a larger slice of Alaskan oil and gas revenues.

This year, the state expects to take in about $10 billion in petroleum revenues, a record.

French said that Palin initially embraced a bill that was fairly tepid and would have raised less money than a similar bill supported by her Republican predecessor. She worked with Democrats -- who constitute about a third of the Legislature -- and a stronger bill was crafted. Half the Republicans supported it.

"It would be incorrect to say the bill came from the governor," French said.

"There's a real question whether she's a Republican or a Democrat," said GOP state Rep. Mike Hawker.