Sarah Palin: Denali
Once, former Vice President and Governor Sarah Palin joked that she was able to see Russia in Alaska from her home. But while that might not be exactly true, when it came to picking a name for Palin, the Secret Service was inspired by something that was essentially in the politician’s backyard. Palin was given a name that suited her home state after Alaska’s National Park and was called ‘Denali.’ In an ironic moment, Palin later fought with the Obama administration about renaming Mount McKinley back to its original Denali name.
Sarah Palin: Denali
Mitt Romney: Javelin
When the Secret Service provides a list of code names for presidential applicants, they are not entirely random. The list is generally tailored beyond meeting requirements to refer to specific things about the background of the candidate or political brand. And this certainly applies to former candidate Mitt Romney, who went by the name of Javelin, the code. The Romney link to the javelin is two-fold. First, in the 1960s and 1970s, American Motors Corp. built the Javelin; Romney’s father ran a business.
Mitt Romney: Javelin