ABSTRACT
Throughout the fall of 2008, Sarah Palin was framed as an outsider to mainstream national politics. In various forums, she characterized herself or was presented by others as a person from outside the Washington, D.C., Beltway (as an average citizen or as a woman candidate); outside the Republican Party mainstream (as a maverick reformer); or outside what she and other conservatives termed a liberal, elite insiders’ club (as a proponent of religious faith, values, and country first). Palin was just like the proverbial “average Joe” in that she and her family worked regular jobs and, at times, struggled to make ends meet. Palin did not present herself or her family as perfect or as model citizens. They were flawed but they supported each other loyally. Palin was willing to stand up for her views regardless of what that meant in terms of personal consequences. Within this frame, Palin's allegiance was to what she believed was right—not necessarily to institutions or to individuals that might be more politically expedient.
