Then you should know. She took a stand against the spending growth and the sweetheart deals with the oil companies. She ran for governor and whipped his butt:
"In 2006, when she was running to unseat then-Gov. Frank Murkowski in the Republican primary, Gov. Palin says she got a call from Ben Stevens, then president of the Republican-run Alaska Senate and son of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, the powerful Alaska Republican. "He told me, 'You're not just running against Murkowski. You're running against me, my dad, the whole state Republican party,'" Gov. Palin says.WSJ linkThe younger Mr. Stevens didn't return calls for comment. He opted not to seek re-election after his was one of six legislative offices raided by federal agents in 2006. Four other state legislators have been sent to prison or are awaiting prosecution in the case, which has focused on bribery and other influence by oilfield contractor VECO Corp., whose chairman and a top lieutenant have pleaded guilty to bribery and conspiracy charges. The elder Mr. Stevens, who handily won the Republican primary this week to face re-election in November, was indicted in the case and has pleaded not guilty."
I lived through the Hickel and Hammond years, when Alaska was truly lead by two great Governors. Palin caused far more turmoil in the State than she ever prevented. Her half term was a disaster.
She upset the Oil industry at Prudhoe Bay to the point where they were forced to nearly shut down. She nearly bankrupted Wasilla in her second term as Mayor. Wasilla’s debt started at 1 Million at the beginning of her second term and ended at 25 Million when she quit. Even the Wall Sreet Journal called the result of her second term; “A Financial Mess”.
Of course Palin also did some things that offset the effects of her tendency to spend, but as a whole, she did not exactly create a strong legacy like Wally Hickel or Jay Hammond did. She is not even close to being in their league.