Over the past six weeks, Sarah Palin has morphed on the national campaign trail from bipartisan small state governor to a conservative lightning rod. Even if she doesn't win the vice presidency, her political career will never be the same.

Palin has always attracted controversy, but she is now a far more polarizing figure, both in Alaska as well as nationally, than before her nomination. If she returns, the Republican governor will face former Democratic allies furious at her campaign attacks.

She will also face lawmakers from both parties ticked off at her handling of the so-called 'troopergate' investigation and her recent false assertions that the investigator's report cleared her, according to interviews with a number of lawmakers and others who watch Alaska politics.

"We've seen her do and say things that are shocking to us, so it's going to be different, to put it mildly," said Juneau Democratic Rep. Beth Kerttula, the House minority leader. "We have a whole different way of looking at her."

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