Elkslayer: Being the governor of Alaska she had dealings with Canada on a daily basis. Our state owned Ferry system goes to Canadian ports and runs through Canadian waters. Almost everything coming to Alaska has to come through Canada, even ships come through Canadian waters. Alaska sells a lot of fish, timber, coal, and natural gas to Korea, Japan, China, Russia, and the Philippines. Alaska also has treaties with Canada and Russia, since we claim the same overlapping waters. She was involved with all of that.
She also has been playing hardball with the big oil companies, and winning.
I am not a personal friend to Sara Palin, but I have met her several times at Hockey games, and will say I do know her. Her son and my son are the same age and played on opposing teams. Let's face it there is not that many teams in Alaska, so they all play against each other several times a season. She and Tod were always at the games when Track was playing and would be out there screaming just like the rest of the parents. She is a regular Hockey Mom.
Todd (known as The First Dude, here is Alaska) races in the Iron Dog every year. That is a Snow Machine race from Anchorage to Nome, then to Fairbanks. He is one heck of a competitor.
My wife is a vet, and works for the Dept Of The Army, on Ft Wainwright. She says one of the things that impresses her about Sara, is that she is always there seeing the troops off when they leave for overseas. Then she is there to welcome them home when they come back. Not just her Guard Troops, but the Regular Army troops too.