ShareThisBy age 45, Sarah Palin had been a star high-school athlete, flute-playing beauty queen, mayor, mother of five with her childhood sweetheart, governor, the Republican vice-presidential candidate and a recurring character on "Saturday Night Live." And now she has signed a contract to write her memoirs and, like her other accomplishments, was thoroughly mocked for it by assorted Democrats, left-wing talkers and others who find her cheery persona unreasonably infuriating.
Many seized on the disclosure that she would have a collaborator on the as-yet-untitled book. (Surely "maverick" or "rogue" will be in the title. This ignores the fact that most politicians' books are partly the work of unseen hands. Hillary Rodham Clinton had ghostwriterly help on "Living History" and "It Takes A Village." John McCain is the rare celebrity writer who gives his collaborator, Mark Salter, full credit.)
Palin says she is looking forward to an "unfiltered" forum, although she has always seemed an unfettered sort. Certainly, McCain's campaign handlers were unable to filter her. They finally succeeded on election night by not letting her speak at all. If Palin makes good on her promise of no filter, hers should be a fascinating story.
Since she burst on the national scene that night in St. Paul, Minn., America has willingly or unwillingly been caught up in her sometimes-soap-operatic life. Surely everyone knows the story of teen-age daughter Bristol's pregnancy and the melodrama of whether she will marry the baby's father, Levi Johnston. Palin's book is to be published next year, as are books by George W. Bush and Laura Bush.
For political junkies, it's too bad that she's in remote Alaska. Flooding there made her miss the White House correspondents dinner, the capital's so-called "nerd prom," and she had to intervene by telephone in support of Miss California's backhanded slap at gay marriage.
The good thing is that arguably our most riveting politician will surely be coming to the Lower 48 for a book tour with lots of TV appearances and interviews in the run-up to November congressional elections and her own re-election. It won't be quite the high-octane fun of Campaign '08, but it will do.
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
Palin's book
My bet is that her book will be a runaway best seller while still in pre-release sales status, and will remain on the best seller list for months. The left wing loons can mock her all they want, but as you said, she is "our most riviting politician." My only disagreement with that is Palin is not a mere politician, she is an genuine person, unlike most of the cardboard cutouts we are used to seeing on the political stage.
Title Shpould Be "Cuda '12"
I'll buy it.
She was also a reporter with
She was also a reporter with a degree in communications-journalism, odd that the media left that out.
Unwarranted backhanded slap at Miss California
"Miss California's backhanded slap at gay marriage." ????????
Whereinheck did that come from? She gave a straightforward, unembellished reply to an intentionally provocative question, while stating her intent not to offend anyone holding a contrary opinion; neither a backhanded nor a forehanded slap at anyone or anything.
Set the record straight
Hey lets get something straight with the McCain campaign. For every step forward the McCain people were compelled to take two steps back. Prior to Sarah, McCain always trailed Obama. Issue upon issue was handed to them and they did not seize the opportunity. Sarah's first two speeches knocked Obama off his convention bounce and took the lead. She raised more money in a single weekend than McCain was able to do the whole summer. Instead of using her strengths of character and charismatic personality they tried to muzzle and control. They could not recognize what the drive by media knew that she was dangerous to Obama achieving the presidency. The ABC & CBS interviews at that point in time were total miscalculation by these so called experts. They did not do there homework because the media was out to diminish this lady from Alaska and they ignored it. These people proved that they were not up to the task of a Presidential Campaign.
Look what Sarah did for Saxby Chambliss when left alone. Her book will be received just like Mark Levine's book was this year and if she should decide to run in 2012 she will be a force that will set the parameters of the campaign and the real Sarah Palin will emerge victorous.
Set the record straight
Hey lets get something straight with the McCain campaign. For every step forward the McCain people were compelled to take two steps back. Prior to Sarah, McCain always trailed Obama. Issue upon issue was handed to them and they did not seize the opportunity. Sarah's first two speeches knocked Obama off his convention bounce and took the lead. She raised more money in a single weekend than McCain was able to do the whole summer. Instead of using her strengths of character and charismatic personality they tried to muzzle and control. They could not recognize what the drive by media knew that she was dangerous to Obama achieving the presidency. The ABC & CBS interviews at that point in time were total miscalculation by these so called experts. They did not do there homework because the media was out to diminish this lady from Alaska and they ignored it. These people proved that they were not up to the task of a Presidential Campaign.
Look what Sarah did for Saxby Chambliss when left alone. Her book will be received just like Mark Levine's book was this year and if she should decide to run in 2012 she will be a force that will set the parameters of the campaign and the real Sarah Palin will emerge victorous.
What it the infatuation
What it the infatuation people have with Sarah Palin? You can hardly accuse me of being a liberal and a democrat, but this woman did bad in her interviews. I think I am a discerning person who can distinguish an "ambush" kind of question and a legitimate question. It is obvious that she is not ready for national politics. She needs to stop complaining (ironically, everytime she says she is not complaining about the media treatment, she actually is doing the complaining)about how unfairly the media treated her and start answering interviews in sentences that make sense. This is the least we can expect from a candidate aspiring to the highest office of the land.
Thanks for the objectivity
It's refreshing to read a story about Gov. Palin's book deal without the kind of snarky comments that would lead one to believe she is the first politician ever to use a co-author or editor.
A shame that the media did not show any diligence in finding out who ghost-wrote Obama's magnum opus. There is good stylistic reason to believe it was Bill Ayers. Based on the few other samples of writing we know to be Obama's own, it's plain that he is just not good enough a writer to have produced Dreams of my Father.
Terrific!
My only problem is not having the book this year to buy and give as Christmas presents. At a recent family reunion I was pleasantly surprised to find not only GOP supporters for her (I mean, that's Texas these days) but also a couple of Democrats well. I always forget there are smart Dems that can be won over. You know the ones--fiscally conservative, don't like socialism a bit and have no desire to throw working-class people, Israel and the Constitution under the bus. GO SARAH!
Looking forward to Palin's Book
I'm looking forward to reading more than letters, articles and op-eds that Gov. Palin has written! Glad this article acknowledged many books from political figures use collaborators instead of acting like that's out of the ordinary. For me this book will be different from all the other books from politician - It's one I'll read!