Palin Last Election: “I Don’t Want To Go Back To Alaska”
A new book by two reporters who traveled with Sarah Palin during the 2008 election has some revealing tidbits. Sarah from Alaska, by Scott Conroy and Sushannah Walshe, tells the story of how Palin insisted she was going to give a concession speech on election night, but never told any of her staff that the McCain people nixed the idea, causing great confusion. In spite of being told otherwise, she insisted to her staff, “I’m speaking. I’ve go the remarks Figure it out.” Palin finally had to be told by senior McCain adviser Mark Salter that the vice presidential nominee doing so was unprecedented.
Among other items:
– In the days after her selection as the vice presidential nominee, the McCain team was so unsure of Palin’s policy acumen that they drew up hundreds of flash cards to get the candidate “up to speed on foreign affairs and major national issues.” One of the flash cards noted that the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was Gordon Brown, the book says.
– Before her now famous speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Palin’s handlers began to rip the price tags off items in the candidate’s lavish new wardrobe, paid for by the Republican National Commitee, after Palin expressed concerns about the cost of the clothing. According to the book, a $90 pair of socks was purchased for Palin’s low-maintenance father, Chuck Heath.
– During a celebration among staffers after the vice presidential debate in St. Louis, Palin began pushing hard to start bringing up the topic of Barack Obama’s controversial pastor Jeremiah Wright on the campaign trail. She wanted badly to win the election, the authors note. “I just don’t want to go back to Alaska,” Palin said off-handedly during the gathering.
Palin and Bachmann are like the Fatal Attraction Twins of the Republican Party. I almost start to feel sorry for the GOP.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Well, I think I’ve already dissed Palin in every imaginable way, so all I’ve got to say now is a $90 pair of socks? WTF!!!!!
jasperjava Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Yeah, that threw me for a loop, too. And for her father, too. I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen what he looks like, and I bet the TV cameras weren’t zooming in on his ankles, either.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I always felt that The good lady from Alaska was “used” in a bad way by the GOP, IE..”Oh yeah? we can be cool and progressive to, just look at our VP candidate”. She was probably not very well prepared for this. I seldom if ever defend republicans, but prior to falling for that political disaster of running for VP, it seemed that she was much beloved and popular with her state.
sinya Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I would normally agree with your outlook, but Palin is the exception. Had she not come out shooting blanks with her cocky lipstick pig, and thanks no thanks bs, I might agree. She “appeared” overly confident with nothing to back up her bluster. She refused to listen or study. She incited the RWNJ’s at her rallies and offered drilling and bombing to cure all ills. She’s short sited and too cloistered in her outlook.
jasperjava Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
This is the classic case of the Peter Principle at work. She’s an ambitious woman, and she reached for something that was far, far, out of the scope of her competence. She should have refused McCain’s request on the basis that she was not qualified for the vice-presidency. But she didn’t have enough self-reflection to do that.
Still, through sheer luck and a very disturbing element in American culture, she managed to do pretty well for herself. There’s actually a huge market for the blatherings of a semi-literate, ignorant, vindictive former beauty queen.
just as long as we can keep her far away from having any actual power over people’s lives, we should be OK.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Alan, I think those same things were in the Vanity Fair hit-piece by that lout who knocked up Palin’s daughter.
I don’t like Palin, but the VF pice was below the belt and I hope this book is not.
If it is, it will help make a martyr out of her…
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Will someone PLEASE make the crazy lady GO AWAY!
Daddio Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 8:55 am
We tried Montana but Hillary Clinton just won’t go away. She is like a bad penny.
TDro319 Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
You’ll have to elaborate, Montana. Are you talking about Sarah Palin, Michelle “bats**t crazy” Bachmann, or Virginia Foxx (my apologies to the right wing lunatics I failed to mention)?
November 4th, 2009 at 12:54 am
Heh heh heh, the book hasn’t even been released and it’s already in the discount bin.
NewsMax is selling it for $4.97.
Not too too confident when you go and knock $25 off the price in order to sell it, and that’s before even giving it a chance in the free market…
crazywackyliberal Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
“Heh heh heh, the book hasn’t even been released and it’s already in the discount bin.
NewsMax is selling it for $4.97.”
Maybe because nobody gives a frack about her. Her 15 minutes are up and thanks to her the Democrats were a shoe in @ the 2008 Presidential election. At least she was good for something :)
burqa Reply:
November 4th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
The commercials for the book are pretty funny, great examples of smoke aimed at butt…
November 4th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Look for her in the “whats hot and what not 2009 wrap up”
November 4th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
As a political commodity, she is still hot. Limpbaugh was gushing today, so that means the glassy-eyed zombies will be following right along.
I do not think she will be able to broaden her appeal, though.
In terms of personal hotness, she is definitely doable, especially for those of us who are attracted by the crazy chicks….
November 4th, 2009 at 5:35 pm