Public image of Sarah Palin who's a conservative; a successful woman whose life is unapologetically grounded in religious belief; a lady who's a leader." A great deal of attention was paid to Palin's physical appearance during the 2008 elections. According to "Vogue" magazine, "Besides being telegenic, [Palin] had a tough-girl Alaskan résumé that most politicians could only dream of—the protein her family eats comes from fish she has pulled out of the ocean with her own hands and caribou she has shot." Others were quick to point out striking resemblances of Palin to actress Tina Fey, who would impersonate her on "Saturday Night Live", and
Bristol Palin received mixed reviews from critics and readers. It reached #21 on "The New York Times" Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction. When John McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate in late August 2008, his advisers had already been informed of her daughter Bristol's pregnancy, which they believed would be a political liability because the teen was unmarried. On September 1, the opening day of the 2008 Republican National Convention, it was publicly announced that Palin was pregnant and engaged to Levi Johnston, the father of her child. Palin's entire family, along with Johnston, appeared at