8) Sarah Palin, 44 Love her or hate her, you have to admit that Palin has a way of luring people into her world. She's striking—the whole librarian-in-glasses look is sexy, even if she's not sure what she reads. She has a style all her own and is a self-made woman. There was no family giving her an easy entrance into politics or favors called in on her behalf. Bursting onto the national scene this past year with confidence—moxie, really—made her an instant celebrity and seems to have cemented her onto the political landscape for years to come.