Kammala wannan jumla: Sarah Palin, yayin da take aiki a matsayin Gwamna na Alaska, an zabi ta a matsayin mace ta farko da za ta yi takarar mataimakin shugaban kasa na Jam'iyyar Republican na Amurka. Bayan zaben, hotonta na jama'a ya kasance a karkashin kulawar kafofin watsa labarai, musamman game da ra'ayinta na addini game da rayuwar jama'a, ra'ayoyinta na zamantakewar al'umma, da kuma rashin ƙwarewa. Kwarewar Palin a harkokin waje da na cikin gida ya zo ne a karkashin zargi tsakanin masu ra'ayin mazan jiya da kuma masu sassaucin ra'ayi bayan da aka zaba ta. Wani binciken da Rasmussen Reports ya yi bayan da
Babban Taron Republican na Republican a makon farko na Satumba 2008 ya gano cewa Palin ya fi shahara fiye da ko dai Barack Obama ko John McCain; duk da haka, wannan ra'ayi daga baya ya juya. A lokaci guda, Palin ya zama mafi mashahuri a tsakanin 'yan Republican fiye da McCain. A watan Fabrairun 2010 "ABC News / Washington Post" ya nuna cewa kashi 71% na Amurkawa sun ji cewa Palin ba ta da cancantar zama Shugaban Amurka.