When Sarah Palin accepted an offer to be the vice presidential candidate for the Republican Party, an Auburn native quickly became the Alaska governor's first choice to be her spokeswoman.
Dr. Pamela Foresman gives a lecture on "Cosmetic Dermatology for the Mature Woman" at the Auburn Memorial Hospital's eleventh annual Women's Health Institute on Saturday afternoon.
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Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Meghan Stapleton, 36, who was previously a press secretary for Palin before resigning in 2007 to become a stay-at-home mother, said there was no way she could turn down the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for the John McCain-Palin presidential campaign.
But being the go-to person for all media inquiries has exposed Meghan to a new level of pressure.
“Professionally, I have to make sure I honor the governor's feelings and record,” the 1990 Auburn High School graduate said last week in a telephone interview. “You have to make sure you do it right, and that you speak factually and accurately.”
The job has put Stapleton on national television news shows and in newspapers and Web sites all over the world.
Her father, Auburn resident David T. Stapleton, said he has been proud to see his daughter in the national spotlight, and has received several e-mails and messages from people wishing to express their support for her.
“In the early days (Meghan) was promoting Palin a lot because she knew her so well,” David said. “It was very surreal and invoked a lot of pride watching her speak.”
But given the high-profile nature of the job, and the tenor of presidential politics, Meghan also received some negative attention.
One such example is a YouTube.com video showing her in a heated debate with an Alaskan state legislator about issues concerning the Troopergate scandal, in which Palin is accused of abusing her power as governor to settle a personal grudge.
“I only promoted the truth and the facts,” Meghan said. “But it's part of the game and they are allowed to do it.”
For her father, though, it's hard watching his daughter in those situations.
“I know in what high regard Meghan holds the governor, and it was rough watching them deal with attacks,” David said. “But you have to understand that it's part of the game when you get in, and she understood that.”
Some of the challenges associated with the job have also spilled over into Meghan's personal life, where friends and family stepped up to help her with her 1-year-old daughter, Isabella, while she and her husband, Eric Steenburgh, have been working.
“I went from a stay-at-home mom to working all night with no sleep for this two-month sprint to the elections,” she said. “Win or lose, once Nov. 5 arrives, I will go back home with my daughter.”
While some people had speculated that she will follow Palin to the White House if the Republican team wins, Meghan said she had no intentions of leaving her home.
“Win or lose, we are staying here,” Meghan said. “Eric and I love Alaska. Around here people take it kind of personally. They say you just want a job and to go to Washington, but I have no ambitions to go to the White House.”
After graduating from high school, Meghan earned a bachelor's degree in American government from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She eventually took a summer radio broadcast course at Cayuga Community College, which led to her entering Syracuse University in 1996. She later earned a broadcast journalism master's degree.
She first came to Alaska nearly eight years ago when she was offered a job at a TV news station. What she thought would be a one-year visit turned into a career and a home.
Since joining the campaign, Meghan has been sharing her enthusiasm for Alaska with two new staff members who came to the state to represent McCain.
“We are teaching the McCain people the ways of Alaska,” Stapleton said. “You don't want to wear cowboy boots in the snow, and they have trench coats when they really want to be wearing fleece. They are from New York City and Washington D.C., and we are laughing with them about it, having some professional fun.”
Overall, Meghan said the experience has exposed her to opportunities she never could have dreamed of, especially when she talked to Palin moments before she walked on stage to debate the Democratic vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden.
“I was standing next to her before the debate telling her to have fun and to concentrate,” Meghan said. “And (when I joined the campaign), I never would have thought I would be talking her through a debate. What a great opportunity and honor it was to stand there with her.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
But being the go-to person for all media inquiries has exposed Meghan to a new level of pressure.
“Professionally, I have to make sure I honor the governor's feelings and record,” the 1990 Auburn High School graduate said last week in a telephone interview. “You have to make sure you do it right, and that you speak factually and accurately.”
The job has put Stapleton on national television news shows and in newspapers and Web sites all over the world.
Her father, Auburn resident David T. Stapleton, said he has been proud to see his daughter in the national spotlight, and has received several e-mails and messages from people wishing to express their support for her.
“In the early days (Meghan) was promoting Palin a lot because she knew her so well,” David said. “It was very surreal and invoked a lot of pride watching her speak.”
But given the high-profile nature of the job, and the tenor of presidential politics, Meghan also received some negative attention.
One such example is a YouTube.com video showing her in a heated debate with an Alaskan state legislator about issues concerning the Troopergate scandal, in which Palin is accused of abusing her power as governor to settle a personal grudge.
“I only promoted the truth and the facts,” Meghan said. “But it's part of the game and they are allowed to do it.”
For her father, though, it's hard watching his daughter in those situations.
“I know in what high regard Meghan holds the governor, and it was rough watching them deal with attacks,” David said. “But you have to understand that it's part of the game when you get in, and she understood that.”
Some of the challenges associated with the job have also spilled over into Meghan's personal life, where friends and family stepped up to help her with her 1-year-old daughter, Isabella, while she and her husband, Eric Steenburgh, have been working.
“I went from a stay-at-home mom to working all night with no sleep for this two-month sprint to the elections,” she said. “Win or lose, once Nov. 5 arrives, I will go back home with my daughter.”
While some people had speculated that she will follow Palin to the White House if the Republican team wins, Meghan said she had no intentions of leaving her home.
“Win or lose, we are staying here,” Meghan said. “Eric and I love Alaska. Around here people take it kind of personally. They say you just want a job and to go to Washington, but I have no ambitions to go to the White House.”
After graduating from high school, Meghan earned a bachelor's degree in American government from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She eventually took a summer radio broadcast course at Cayuga Community College, which led to her entering Syracuse University in 1996. She later earned a broadcast journalism master's degree.
She first came to Alaska nearly eight years ago when she was offered a job at a TV news station. What she thought would be a one-year visit turned into a career and a home.
Since joining the campaign, Meghan has been sharing her enthusiasm for Alaska with two new staff members who came to the state to represent McCain.
“We are teaching the McCain people the ways of Alaska,” Stapleton said. “You don't want to wear cowboy boots in the snow, and they have trench coats when they really want to be wearing fleece. They are from New York City and Washington D.C., and we are laughing with them about it, having some professional fun.”
Overall, Meghan said the experience has exposed her to opportunities she never could have dreamed of, especially when she talked to Palin moments before she walked on stage to debate the Democratic vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Joe Biden.
“I was standing next to her before the debate telling her to have fun and to concentrate,” Meghan said. “And (when I joined the campaign), I never would have thought I would be talking her through a debate. What a great opportunity and honor it was to stand there with her.”
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
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