Palin polarizes, charms in equal measure

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Whether Republican John McCain wins or loses his bid to become the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, his running mate, Sarah Palin, appears unlikely to disappear from public view any time soon.

Love her or hate her, she has captivated Americans in a way that a vice presidential candidate has not done for years. One small indicator -- Sarah Palin masks were reported to be one of the biggest sellers for Halloween on Friday.

With her high national profile, there is already talk of the 44-year-old first-term Alaska governor running for president in 2012.

If McCain does not win Tuesday, Palin could return to Alaska, where an ethics inquiry found earlier this month that she had abused her authority by pressuring subordinates to fire a state trooper involved in a feud with her family.

Lorne Michaels, executive producer of "Saturday Night Live," the satirical television show that has seen ratings soar on the back of its merciless lampooning of Palin's folksy persona and verbal gaffes, said the telegenic former TV sports reporter and beauty queen could easily have her own television show.

Since being McCain's surprise pick in August and thrown into a bitterly fought campaign against Democrat Barack Obama, Palin has attracted controversy but also a strong following in the Republican Party's conservative base.

The choice caught Obama's campaign off-guard as Palin campaigned on a platform of change as a down-to-earth working mother of five -- a "pitbull with lipstick" -- and a maverick reformer who had taken on her own party to protect Alaskans' interests.

She reprised her well-received speech to the Republican National Convention, making much of her opposition to a costly project called the "Bridge to Nowhere" while drawing criticism for failing to mention that she had at first supported it.

MANAGING HER IMAGE

Despite falling ratings, Palin still draws large crowds to rallies as the mouthpiece for the McCain campaign's most pointed attacks on Obama.

Her nomination was widely seen as an attempt by McCain to court female voters, but pollsters say she has been a polarizing force, alienating many independent women, particularly over her staunch anti-abortion views.

Some conservative commentators have also questioned McCain's decision to choose Palin after her stumbling performance in a series of television interviews raised questions about her inexperience.

During a discussion of foreign affairs in one U.S. network interview, the former small-town mayor was asked how Alaska's proximity to Russia gave her foreign policy insight.

"They're our next-door neighbours and you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska, from an island in Alaska," Palin said, a remark that late-night comedians pounced upon as a sign that she was in over her head.

Dubbed the "hottest governor" in the United States, her beauty queen looks and wardrobe, along with her trademark swept-up hairstyle and distinctive glasses, have attracted almost as much media attention as her views. Supporters say such scrutiny is sexist and belittles her candidacy.

The McCain campaign has tightly controlled Palin's appearances and interviews, but in recent days there have been reports that she has "gone rogue," angered by the party's handling of the disclosure that it spent $150,000 on clothes for her and her family.

Critics said the disclosure hurt Palin's attempts to portray herself and her husband Todd, whom she refers to as the "First Dude," as just an average American couple who are carefully watching their money as the U.S. economy worsens.

But Palin is difficult to pigeonhole. She is an avid hunter and outdoorswoman as well as an ambitious working mother who has one son serving in Iraq, another who was born in April with Down syndrome and an unmarried pregnant daughter.

Her personal story, from small-town mayor to first woman to run on a Republican presidential ticket, has proved compelling for many Americans and Tuesday's election will likely not be the final chapter but simply a bookmark.

(Editing by David Wiessler)