The first woman to appear on the GOP ticket as vice president. The first viable female presidential candidate who also became the closest runner-up in history. The dynamic spouse of the nation's first African-American major-party Presidential candidate. There are a number of extraordinary firsts in this election, and these influential women have found all eyes on them throughout the campaign cycle.
1. Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin
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Unexpectedly picked by John McCain to be his running mate on the GOP ticket, Sarah Palin was little known as the governor of Alaska, yet has energized the Republican Party with her hockey mom image and reformer record.
2. Hillary Clinton, First Woman to Nearly Clinch the Presidential Nomination
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From her Senate campaign to her speech at the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton has demonstrated leadership and commitment to service as she's campaigned to be the first female President of the United States. Articles, commentary, and observations of the race and of Clinton.
3. Michelle Obama, Wife of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama
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She's dynamic, outspoken, and a working class girl from the South Side of Chicago. Michelle Robinson Obama left her career as a university medical center administrator to support her husband as he campaigns for the White House, where she may very likely end up as the nation's first African American First Lady.
4. Cindy McCain, Wife of Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain
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John McCain's second wife, Cindy is a philanthropist and head of one of the largest beverage distibutorships in the nation. A woman who is used to keeping a low profile, her husband's candidacy has thrust her into the public eye.
