Find interesting facts or add you own
Find interesting facts or add you own
by Melissa Cornett
About three weeks before we published this fact sheet, few people outside of Alaska knew who Sarah Palin was. Times have certainly changed. Governor Sarah Palin is now a household name and the subject of much media coverage — and quite a bit of controversy.
In this article, we have done our best to come up with some interesting facts about Sarah Palin. This was a particularly difficult fact sheet to create, because there are so many rumors swirling around about Sarah Palin. At the same time, this makes the need for cold hard facts all the more great.
We have worked hard to fact check all of the information presented below. Where applicable (and helpful), we have also provided links to background information, news stories, facts and more.
I hope you've enjoyed this fact sheet on Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska and current candidate for Vice President of the United States. It's important to learn as much about a political candidate, so you can make an educated decision on election day. I hope this list of Sarah Palin facts has helped in that regard.
References: There are too many sources to list here at end, like we normally do. So we have spread them through out the fact sheet in the form of hyperlinks.
About the Author
This fact sheet was provided by Melissa Cornett. We would like to think the author / researcher for the many hours of hard work she put into this important project.
Editor's Note
As much as possible, we tried to be balanced when gathering facts on Sarah Palin. But many of the threads we followed led to controversies, allegations, lawsuits, lies and retractions, and the like. If this article appears overly negative, that is only because it's a direct reflection of the facts contained within.
Charles Gibson questions Sarah Palin on comments she made about the now-infamous Bridge to Nowhere issue. During the Republican National Convention, Palin claimed that she stopped the project by telling the U.S. Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks."
If you enjoyed this article, you'll also enjoy this CNN segment that performs a similar fact check of Sarah Palin's comments and platforms.
Why was Sarah Palin (mayor of Wasilla at the time) so interested in removing books from the town library in Wasilla, Alaska? You be the judge.
In this interview with Charles Gibson, Palin demonstrates her knowledge of foreign relations by explaining the Bush Doctrine — a critical piece of foreign policy legislation — to Mr. Gibson.
by Brandon Cornett
We like facts here at 21Facts.com. It's sort of the whole point of the website, if you hadn't noticed. So when we see a public figure who utterly abuses the facts to shape her political image, we get a little angry. I'll admit it. Is this anger justified or misplaced? Here's my position on the matter...
I stopped construction of the "Bridge to Nowhere" by telling Congress thanks, but no thanks. I visited the troops in Iraq. I sold the luxury plane on eBay for a profit. I am against earmarks and wasteful "pork barrel" spending. I stand up to lobbyists.
These are the key points and credentials most often cited by Sarah Palin in her campaign speeches. Sadly, they are all completely false as well. Let's address them one at a time:
On Stopping the Bridge to Nowhere
If you're not familiar with it, the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere" was going to be a colossal waste of government funds to construct an overpriced bridge in a tiny town in Alaska. Halting this project is something Sarah Palin frequently claims as a personal victory. At least, she used to claim it, before ABC's Charles Gibson called her on the falsehood.
In truth, Palin was initially a staunch and vocal supporter of the bridge project. In 2006, she told the local chamber of commerce: "This [bridge] link is a commitment to help Ketchikan expand its access, to help this community prosper." She pushed for it and pushed for it. Eventually, the project became seen as a national embarrassment -- pork barrel spending at its worst. So the federal government essentially pulled the plug on the financing.
Sarah Palin never told the Congress, "Thanks, but no thanks" on the bridge. It makes a good applause line at speeches, and it makes her come off like a caped crusader who stood up in front of bulldozers with hands on hips. But she was staunchly for the project until it became an embarrassment. Ultimately, the bridge idea was scrapped (though Alaska kept the money).
On Visiting the Troops in Iraq
When questioned about her foreign policy experience and travels, Sarah Palin has often spoken emotionally about "visiting the troops in Iraq." Here again, we have a complete falsehood. In fact, on September 13, 2008, her campaign officials were forced to officially and publicly revise her statement. She has been to Kuwait, but not Iraq. They are two different countries -- one safe, the other a battleground. Once again, Palin has altered the truth to make herself seem like a solid candidate.
On a humorous side note, she also frequently mentioned her travels to Ireland. Her plane made a refueling stop there once.
On Selling the Luxury Plane
In further attempts to establish her strong character and fiscal savvy, Palin has often stated that she sold the Alaska governor's plane on eBay for a profit. This one is almost true, but not quite. She put the plane on eBay, but it went unsold for months. The plane was sold after it was removed from eBay -- and for a loss, not a profit.
On Challenging Earmarks and Wasteful Spending
Sarah Palin often cites how she has stood up against earmarks and wasteful "pork barrel" spending over the years. She even told ABC News that "the abuse of earmarks, it's un-American, it's undemocratic, and it's not going to be accepted in a McCain-Palin administration. Earmark abuse will stop."
It makes for another good applause line, but is it true? Not so much.
As the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin hired lobbyist Steve Silver to secure federal earmarks for the small town. The town was awarded $27 million in earmarked federal funding during Palin's two terms.
In 2008, Alaska received $155 million in earmark funding. Alaska has a population of around 670,000 people. That equates to around $231 per person in earmark funding, more than most states.
According to the Wall Street Journal: "In the current fiscal year [as governor], she is seeking $197 million for 31 projects." The year before that, she sought $256 million. Some of these "important" projects include the study of harbor seal genetics and the mating habits of crabs.
When questioned by ABC's Charlie Gibson about all of this earmark spending under her leadership (as both mayor and governor), she admitted to it. Then she went on to explain how it won't be tolerated in a McCain-Palin administration, adding that "earmark abuse will stop." Does anyone else find this one-woman performance of good cop / bad cop disturbing?
A Disturbing Psychological Pattern
We all know that politicians stretch the truth. Some stretch it further than others. That's not what I find shocking. What bewilders me -- and quite frankly, what frightens me -- is the fact that most of the statements Governor Palin uses to prove her qualifications can be easily disproved. But she just keeps doing it, like the pathological liar character Jon Lovitz used to play on Saturday Night Live.
Even more baffling is the reason why she says these things. It's a disturbing pattern of speaking before thinking, and then backpedaling when the truth comes out -- with greater frequency than any other politician I've seen in decades.
Palin said it herself, describing how her husband Todd says she "has no filter" when speaking. Some people applaud this as meaning Palin is a straight shooter. But when you weigh the evidence, you get the feeling she was referring to a filter between lies and truth. And she clearly lacks one of those. Can you buy them on eBay?
My question to you is this: Do we really need a Vice President who says the first thing that pops into her head, regardless of the accuracy of the statement? Do we need somebody who positions themselves on a mountain of lies and calls it a platform? I guess we will find out on November 4.
On the positive side, there is one credential Sarah Palin often touts that is completely true. She often cites the fact that she's a "hockey mom." That part, at least, is an indisputable fact. Kudos, Governor.