Alaska News

Sarah Palin: Four years ago, McCain announced Alaska gov. as VP pick

Four years ago Wednesday, GOP presidential candidate John McCain announced that he had chosen then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his running mate. And we Alaskans all pretty much know what happened after Aug. 29, 2008, from her stunning speech at the Republican National Convention to her battles with the lamestream media, from her abrupt resignation from the governor's office to her family's multimillion-dollar rise in Hollywood.

On Tuesday's 5 p.m. newscast, KTUU Channel 2 took a brief look back at those heady days when Palin was picked by McCain. The station chose reporter Rhonda McBride to tell the story, along with a disclaimer at the end of the segment stating that McBride had worked for Palin.

Palin watchers may recall McBride was Palin's state rural affairs adviser. She left her post in fall 2008 as Palin was running for vice president in the Lower 48. (Bill McAllister, another Palin-era figure who served as her flack, also ended up leaving state government -- he did so after Sean Parnell was at the helm -- and returning to Alaska TV news, though his time with Palin isn't mentioned in his TV bio.)

After McBride left the Palin administration, Alaska Dispatch ran a commentary from her. McBride acknowledged at the time the "ethical tightrope" she'd be walking as a reporter after working for the governor:

"One of your bloggers asked about the ethics of covering the governor, after having worked for her. It is challenging -- and I try hard to be as fair and balanced as I can be. And I'm sure you bloggers will let me know if I slip off this ethical tightrope. You are right to question me."

Four years after Palin left the wilderness, McBride is still reporting, including on her old boss -- still walking that tightrope.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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