Sarah Palin
The self-proclaimed hockey mom and political maverick swept America off its proverbial feet with her snarky and smooth repartee at the 2008 Republican National Convention when the Alaska Governor introduced herself as John McCain's surprise vice-presidential pick. By now, America is so familiar with Palin's personal history that one conniving teenager broke into her Yahoo! account by answering simple security questions like "Where did you meet your husband?" (Answer: Wasilla High School"). Despite the ups and downs of the campaign (Troopergate, the wardrobe debacle, Saturday Night Live, her daughter's untimely pregnancy, Katie Couric's infernal questions, and, oh yeah, defeat), Palin emerged as one of the party's most invigorating and captivating personalities. If 2009 calendar sales are any indication, Palin's future is looking bright.