POSTED: 17:46 MST Friday, December 11, 2009
by Zach Hagadone
It was a small book sellers dream come true: The most talked-about author in the country would be swooping in for an exclusive singing.
It turned out Sarah Palin – a Sandpoint native whose family moved to Alaska shortly after her birth in 1964 – would be making a last-minute stop in her old hometown as part of her tour promoting “Going Rogue: An American Life.”
As Sandpoint’s largest seller of new books, Vanderford’s Books & Office Products had exclusive rights to sell the only tomes that the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate would sign at her event, scheduled for Dec. 10.
“We didn’t know about the event until a week ago, on Tuesday,” said Tom Vanderford, who owns the store with his wife, Marcia. “We had initially brought in about 200 books of Palin’s just because we had felt we’d sell that many. Of course, as soon as we heard about the event here we ordered 2,000 from HarperCollins.”
But the short timeframe meant things moved fast and furious. For one thing, the store on Cedar Street would be far too small to accommodate the crowds, so Sandpoint Business & Events Center owners Lynda and Brad Scott, who had worked with Palin’s parents to bring her to town, offered their venue for free.
That left Vanderford’s fielding phone calls and organizing down to the level of providing portable toilets for the hundreds who eventually showed up. To make matters even tenser, the books didn’t arrive until the day before the event.
“Today my stress level is very low, but up until last night I was afraid I’d have a stroke,” Vanderford said on Dec. 11. “But in the end it came off real well.”
With the temperature hovering near 12 degrees, as many as 750 people came from all over the region to the events center – a stately three-story brick landmark that served as Sandpoint High School for the better part of a century.
According to Kathy Adruzak, events manager at the center, traffic was steady for about three hours.
“It was one constant stream,” she said. “Everybody was so excited to just be here. This was where she was born. Her father [Chuck Heath] graduated from Sandpoint High School and taught in this building. To come back to your birthplace, that’s pretty significant.”
Vanderford said the signing was a “complete success.” The book store sold 1,050 of the 2,000 copies it ordered, “and that’s about as many as you can sell in about two days.”
“December’s always a very good time of year for us – it’s a time when we can hopefully make enough money to pay our bills through the spring,” he said. “It definitely gave us an economic boost, but probably not as much as people would think, given the costs of putting on the event.”
Vanderford said those costs are being added up now, and will include freight charges for returning unsold books. Another, less quantifiable cost came from the publisher’s rules dictating that Palin would only sign copies purchased at Vanderford’s.
“We had people coming in saying they’d never buy from us again, basically ‘I hate your guts.’ But everybody at the event thanked us, everybody was in a happy mood,” he said. “It made up for it, for sure.”
Andruzak said because the events center was offered free of charge, the biggest economic benefit was exposure.
“It definitely was a boost for the bookstore – for them to sell over 1,000 books, especially in this trying time,” she said. “As far as any other money coming into town, I don’t know if we gained anything from that.”
Still, she added, “I would welcome any event like that. I think it’s great for our community, it’s great for the economy, plus the visibility of our building.”
Vanderford said he too would welcome another high-profile signing, though perhaps with some additional lead time.
“I don’t expect these to come along very often – maybe once in a decade. So yeah, I’d do it again, but next time with a little more warning,” he said.
As for advice to other booksellers crossing their fingers that a big name author will just drop in: “Be careful what you wish for."
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Palin's final book tour stops are at Alaska Air Force bases
By Sean Cockerham
The Anchorage Daily News
The final stops on former Gov. Sarah Palin's nationwide book tour will be Sunday at Air Force bases in Alaska, at a pair of events that will be closed to the general public. They are Palin's first and only scheduled book signings in her home state.
Palin will sign "Going Rogue" at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage from noon to 3 p.m. at the base exchange. She'll then go to Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks and sign books at the shopping center there from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
"This book tour has been an amazing and inspirational experience for me and my family as we crisscrossed the country and met so many wonderful Americans," Palin wrote on her Facebook page Thursday. "At nearly every stop we met someone with a connection to Alaska -- usually through the military from being stationed at one of Alaska's bases. With that in mind, we've decided to hold the final book signings at Alaska's Elmendorf and Eielson AFBs. Hope to see you there!"
The Alaska events were last-minute additions to Palin's published tour schedule. Asked why no signings open to the general public were scheduled in Alaska, Palin publicist Tina Andreadis of HarperCollins Publishers responded by e-mail that "The Governor is humbled by this opportunity to honor the nation's military stationed in AK, especially during the Holidays."
Anyone with access to Elmendorf or Fort Richardson can attend the Anchorage event. A military ID is needed for the Eielson signing, which will be held at the Army and Air Forces Exchange Service (AAFES) shopping center.
"The tour in no way reflects the Air Force's or AAFES' support commercially or politically for Gov. Palin. The event provides an opportunity for Gov. Palin to connect with fans, military members and their families," Eielson said in materials distributed to the news media.
To read the complete article, visit www.adn.com.
The Anchorage Daily News
The final stops on former Gov. Sarah Palin's nationwide book tour will be Sunday at Air Force bases in Alaska, at a pair of events that will be closed to the general public. They are Palin's first and only scheduled book signings in her home state.
Palin will sign "Going Rogue" at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage from noon to 3 p.m. at the base exchange. She'll then go to Eielson Air Force Base outside Fairbanks and sign books at the shopping center there from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
"This book tour has been an amazing and inspirational experience for me and my family as we crisscrossed the country and met so many wonderful Americans," Palin wrote on her Facebook page Thursday. "At nearly every stop we met someone with a connection to Alaska -- usually through the military from being stationed at one of Alaska's bases. With that in mind, we've decided to hold the final book signings at Alaska's Elmendorf and Eielson AFBs. Hope to see you there!"
The Alaska events were last-minute additions to Palin's published tour schedule. Asked why no signings open to the general public were scheduled in Alaska, Palin publicist Tina Andreadis of HarperCollins Publishers responded by e-mail that "The Governor is humbled by this opportunity to honor the nation's military stationed in AK, especially during the Holidays."
Anyone with access to Elmendorf or Fort Richardson can attend the Anchorage event. A military ID is needed for the Eielson signing, which will be held at the Army and Air Forces Exchange Service (AAFES) shopping center.
"The tour in no way reflects the Air Force's or AAFES' support commercially or politically for Gov. Palin. The event provides an opportunity for Gov. Palin to connect with fans, military members and their families," Eielson said in materials distributed to the news media.
To read the complete article, visit www.adn.com.
Sarah Palin plans to be key player in 2010
Sarah Palin plans to be key player in 2010
Updated
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY
Everyone should be unsuccessful so successfully: From a losing vice presidential candidacy, Sarah Palin has bounced back as a best-selling author with plans to be a major player in next year's elections.
"It has been spectacular," Palin told USA TODAY in a telephone interview Thursday as she wrapped up a three-week book tour that has made her memoirs, Going Rogue, one of the top-selling non-fiction debuts ever.
Palin heads home this weekend for Christmas in Alaska, but she won't be there long.
COMMON GROUND: Palin's tale of two worlds
MAP: Sarah Palin's book tour stops
POLL: Most Iowa Republicans like Palin for 2012
WHISTLE-STOP: Palin's book tour through battleground states
"I'll be doing some speeches across the country in these coming months," Palin said. "I'll be taking people up on their offers to assist them in campaigns."
But even as her book sales soar, Palin remains a divisive figure in American politics. In an October Gallup Poll, 50% of those surveyed viewed the conservative Republican unfavorably, compared to 40% who had a favorable view.
In the interview, Palin praised President Obama for the speech he gave Thursday to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She said the president's defense of war to combat evil could have been taken from the pages of her memoirs.
"Wow, that really sounded familiar," said Palin, a frequent Obama critic. "I talked, too, in my book about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times."
She did criticize the president for his efforts to make a deal on climate change at the global summit now underway in Copenhagen. Though she has seen "glaciers receding" and other "impacts of climate change" in the nation's only Arctic state, the former Alaska governor said "that doesn't mean that it's man's activities — that it's drilling for oil or driving an SUV — that has caused these cyclical weather pattern changes that for eons the Earth has witnessed."
Does she plan to take on Obama in 2012?
"My thinking is still 2010 and helping candidates get elected there," Palin said.
"That's what I'm concentrating on."
If she isn't quite ready to run for the presidency, Palin also is doing nothing to discourage the idea. Her book tour has been a "confirming and affirming" experience, she said, adding that she's tapped the same vein of discontent in the country's body politic as the conservative "Tea Party" movement, which she called "beautiful."
"The great thing about what's going on right now across the country is there isn't the apathy that perhaps we had seen even a year ago," Palin said. "All these people who are getting riled up. It's a healthy riled up, too. This is good for democracy. It's people getting sick and tired of feeling disenfranchised and disenchanted with their government, and they want their voice heard."
The political action committee Palin formed this year, SarahPAC, won't file its next public accounting until January. Palin aide Jason Recher reports "a significant uptick" in fundraising since the book tour began Nov. 18.
In next year's congressional and gubernatorial races, Palin said she'll be helping to fund candidates who share her "economically conservative principles" and "commitment to win the war against terrorists." Ideology, she said, is more important than party labels.
Earlier this year, Palin made a much-publicized intervention in a New York congressional race, backing a Conservative Party candidate over the GOP nominee. A Democrat ended up winning the seat that had been held for more than a century by Republicans.
Things haven't been smooth for Palin in Alaska, either. Fellow Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, the state's senior senator, blasted Palin last summer when Palin abruptly resigned her position as Alaska's first female governor with 18 months left in her four-year term. Murkowski expressed disappointment that Palin "decided to abandon the state and her constituents."
Palin has no regrets. "God has blessed the decision I made," she said.
'Playing to one side'
Whether Palin can translate her book's success into votes is an open question.
"She's playing to one side of the stadium," Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez, whose new book You've Come A Long Way Maybe discusses the role of female political groundbreakers.
While Palin is "incredibly popular among conservatives, especially conservative women, the biggest challenge she faces is that she's been identified as someone who did not have the intellectual heft to be commander in chief," Sanchez said.
"I don't know that she's addressed that yet."
The book tour underscored that Palin is as polarizing as she is popular. One sure sign: The tour is making money for her critics as well. Going Rouge: An American Nightmare, one of several spoof volumes rushed into print to compete with Palin's book, ranks No. 12 on Amazon's list of biography best sellers.
Even so, those who disagree with Palin see her as a force to be reckoned with. An op-ed piece Palin wrote this week for The Washington Post about climate change drew fire from former vice president Al Gore. He accused Palin of being one of the "deniers … persisting in an era of unreality."
Those who admire Palin do so intensely. Since hitting the stands Nov. 17, Going Rogue has spent three weeks at No. 1 on USA TODAY's best-seller list,, matching the record for political memoirs, set by retired general Colin Powell in 1995. Publisher HarperCollins says it has gone back to the presses 13 times to keep up with demand and now has 2.8 million copies of Palin's book in print. Thousands of fans have camped out overnight, sometimes in bitter cold temperatures, for a chance to shake her hand.
At a time when the financial squeeze in the publishing industry has made book tours a relative rarity, HarperCollins pulled out all the stops for Palin.
By this weekend, when she officially wraps up her tour with two stops in Alaska, the politician-turned author will have visited 33 cities in 25 states — mostly in areas where her presidential running mate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., did well last year, or where she drew big crowds at campaign rallies.
"We knew that Gov. Palin has an incredible fan base," said HarperCollins publicist Tina Andreadis. "By orchestrating a big tour," she said, "we were confident we could gain major sales and publicity at every event — which we did."
Palin was a political pragmatist when it came to promoting her book. She gave her first interview to daytime talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, a supporter of Obama's presidential campaign. And Palin hired lawyer Robert Barnett, whose author-clients include such big-name Democrats as Obama, former president Bill Clinton and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Palin gave no interviews to local newspapers or television stations along the way, but it didn't seem to matter. At a Hastings bookstore in Richland, Wash., where manager Justin Cardenas has just 72 hours to prepare for a book-signing that Palin decided to do while spending Thanksgiving weekend with family members nearby, all it took was putting a notice on the store marquee.
"Within an hour, I was getting calls," Cardenas said. People began to line up at 10 a.m. Saturday for a book signing that began at noon the next day.
"It was a very cold weekend," the store manager said. "Some even had space heaters that ran on propane."
A 'contemporary phenomena'
The book tour is "a very interesting contemporary phenomena" and one that's especially suited to appeal to some of Palin's most loyal fans, said literary critic Elaine Showalter, author of Jury of Her Peers, an anthology of American women
writers.
"Women are the majority of book buyers. They're very comfortable in bookstores," Showalter said. "They're cozy. They're usually in malls. They have plenty of restrooms."
Palin said she noticed the disproportionate number of women at her signings.
"I loved it," she said, recounting her relish as meeting "so many women who are in or who have been in my shoes." She said many were mothers or grandmothers of special-needs children, such as Palin's youngest son, Trig, born with Down syndrome. "We connect," Palin said. "We understand each other."
Palin, who will have made stops at five military facilities by the time her tour ends in Alaska this weekend, announced Thursday that she's donating the red jacket she wore on the book cover for conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham to auction for a wounded warriors benefit.
Asked the size of the jacket, the diminutive Palin was coy. "It's small but it's roomy," she laughed. "A guy would look great in it, too."
Her fans are "hard-working, unpretentious, patriotic," said Palin, who sought them out by taking her tour bus to places book tours don't often venture — a Costco in Reno and a Sam's Club in Washington, Pa. As a result, Palin's books are hitting big sales numbers in places where political memoirs are not generally hot numbers.
For now, Palin plans to cook up a traditional Christmas dinner for family and friends. "Oh, you know, we always do the moose chili," she said.
Palin said she wants to help her husband, Todd, a four-time Iron Dog snowmobile race champion, prepare for the 1,900-mile competition in February.
And Palin, who talked in the book about insisting on time for a daily run during last year's campaign, said she's got an athletic quest of her own in mind. She said she "can't wait to get more miles under my belt, 'cause I do want to run another marathon."
Her supporters hope she does, too — one that ends in 2012.
Updated
By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY
Everyone should be unsuccessful so successfully: From a losing vice presidential candidacy, Sarah Palin has bounced back as a best-selling author with plans to be a major player in next year's elections.
"It has been spectacular," Palin told USA TODAY in a telephone interview Thursday as she wrapped up a three-week book tour that has made her memoirs, Going Rogue, one of the top-selling non-fiction debuts ever.
Palin heads home this weekend for Christmas in Alaska, but she won't be there long.
COMMON GROUND: Palin's tale of two worlds
MAP: Sarah Palin's book tour stops
POLL: Most Iowa Republicans like Palin for 2012
WHISTLE-STOP: Palin's book tour through battleground states
"I'll be doing some speeches across the country in these coming months," Palin said. "I'll be taking people up on their offers to assist them in campaigns."
But even as her book sales soar, Palin remains a divisive figure in American politics. In an October Gallup Poll, 50% of those surveyed viewed the conservative Republican unfavorably, compared to 40% who had a favorable view.
In the interview, Palin praised President Obama for the speech he gave Thursday to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She said the president's defense of war to combat evil could have been taken from the pages of her memoirs.
"Wow, that really sounded familiar," said Palin, a frequent Obama critic. "I talked, too, in my book about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times."
She did criticize the president for his efforts to make a deal on climate change at the global summit now underway in Copenhagen. Though she has seen "glaciers receding" and other "impacts of climate change" in the nation's only Arctic state, the former Alaska governor said "that doesn't mean that it's man's activities — that it's drilling for oil or driving an SUV — that has caused these cyclical weather pattern changes that for eons the Earth has witnessed."
Does she plan to take on Obama in 2012?
"My thinking is still 2010 and helping candidates get elected there," Palin said.
"That's what I'm concentrating on."
If she isn't quite ready to run for the presidency, Palin also is doing nothing to discourage the idea. Her book tour has been a "confirming and affirming" experience, she said, adding that she's tapped the same vein of discontent in the country's body politic as the conservative "Tea Party" movement, which she called "beautiful."
"The great thing about what's going on right now across the country is there isn't the apathy that perhaps we had seen even a year ago," Palin said. "All these people who are getting riled up. It's a healthy riled up, too. This is good for democracy. It's people getting sick and tired of feeling disenfranchised and disenchanted with their government, and they want their voice heard."
The political action committee Palin formed this year, SarahPAC, won't file its next public accounting until January. Palin aide Jason Recher reports "a significant uptick" in fundraising since the book tour began Nov. 18.
In next year's congressional and gubernatorial races, Palin said she'll be helping to fund candidates who share her "economically conservative principles" and "commitment to win the war against terrorists." Ideology, she said, is more important than party labels.
Earlier this year, Palin made a much-publicized intervention in a New York congressional race, backing a Conservative Party candidate over the GOP nominee. A Democrat ended up winning the seat that had been held for more than a century by Republicans.
Things haven't been smooth for Palin in Alaska, either. Fellow Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, the state's senior senator, blasted Palin last summer when Palin abruptly resigned her position as Alaska's first female governor with 18 months left in her four-year term. Murkowski expressed disappointment that Palin "decided to abandon the state and her constituents."
Palin has no regrets. "God has blessed the decision I made," she said.
'Playing to one side'
Whether Palin can translate her book's success into votes is an open question.
"She's playing to one side of the stadium," Republican strategist Leslie Sanchez, whose new book You've Come A Long Way Maybe discusses the role of female political groundbreakers.
While Palin is "incredibly popular among conservatives, especially conservative women, the biggest challenge she faces is that she's been identified as someone who did not have the intellectual heft to be commander in chief," Sanchez said.
"I don't know that she's addressed that yet."
The book tour underscored that Palin is as polarizing as she is popular. One sure sign: The tour is making money for her critics as well. Going Rouge: An American Nightmare, one of several spoof volumes rushed into print to compete with Palin's book, ranks No. 12 on Amazon's list of biography best sellers.
Even so, those who disagree with Palin see her as a force to be reckoned with. An op-ed piece Palin wrote this week for The Washington Post about climate change drew fire from former vice president Al Gore. He accused Palin of being one of the "deniers … persisting in an era of unreality."
Those who admire Palin do so intensely. Since hitting the stands Nov. 17, Going Rogue has spent three weeks at No. 1 on USA TODAY's best-seller list,, matching the record for political memoirs, set by retired general Colin Powell in 1995. Publisher HarperCollins says it has gone back to the presses 13 times to keep up with demand and now has 2.8 million copies of Palin's book in print. Thousands of fans have camped out overnight, sometimes in bitter cold temperatures, for a chance to shake her hand.
At a time when the financial squeeze in the publishing industry has made book tours a relative rarity, HarperCollins pulled out all the stops for Palin.
By this weekend, when she officially wraps up her tour with two stops in Alaska, the politician-turned author will have visited 33 cities in 25 states — mostly in areas where her presidential running mate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., did well last year, or where she drew big crowds at campaign rallies.
"We knew that Gov. Palin has an incredible fan base," said HarperCollins publicist Tina Andreadis. "By orchestrating a big tour," she said, "we were confident we could gain major sales and publicity at every event — which we did."
Palin was a political pragmatist when it came to promoting her book. She gave her first interview to daytime talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, a supporter of Obama's presidential campaign. And Palin hired lawyer Robert Barnett, whose author-clients include such big-name Democrats as Obama, former president Bill Clinton and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Palin gave no interviews to local newspapers or television stations along the way, but it didn't seem to matter. At a Hastings bookstore in Richland, Wash., where manager Justin Cardenas has just 72 hours to prepare for a book-signing that Palin decided to do while spending Thanksgiving weekend with family members nearby, all it took was putting a notice on the store marquee.
"Within an hour, I was getting calls," Cardenas said. People began to line up at 10 a.m. Saturday for a book signing that began at noon the next day.
"It was a very cold weekend," the store manager said. "Some even had space heaters that ran on propane."
A 'contemporary phenomena'
The book tour is "a very interesting contemporary phenomena" and one that's especially suited to appeal to some of Palin's most loyal fans, said literary critic Elaine Showalter, author of Jury of Her Peers, an anthology of American women
writers.
"Women are the majority of book buyers. They're very comfortable in bookstores," Showalter said. "They're cozy. They're usually in malls. They have plenty of restrooms."
Palin said she noticed the disproportionate number of women at her signings.
"I loved it," she said, recounting her relish as meeting "so many women who are in or who have been in my shoes." She said many were mothers or grandmothers of special-needs children, such as Palin's youngest son, Trig, born with Down syndrome. "We connect," Palin said. "We understand each other."
Palin, who will have made stops at five military facilities by the time her tour ends in Alaska this weekend, announced Thursday that she's donating the red jacket she wore on the book cover for conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham to auction for a wounded warriors benefit.
Asked the size of the jacket, the diminutive Palin was coy. "It's small but it's roomy," she laughed. "A guy would look great in it, too."
Her fans are "hard-working, unpretentious, patriotic," said Palin, who sought them out by taking her tour bus to places book tours don't often venture — a Costco in Reno and a Sam's Club in Washington, Pa. As a result, Palin's books are hitting big sales numbers in places where political memoirs are not generally hot numbers.
For now, Palin plans to cook up a traditional Christmas dinner for family and friends. "Oh, you know, we always do the moose chili," she said.
Palin said she wants to help her husband, Todd, a four-time Iron Dog snowmobile race champion, prepare for the 1,900-mile competition in February.
And Palin, who talked in the book about insisting on time for a daily run during last year's campaign, said she's got an athletic quest of her own in mind. She said she "can't wait to get more miles under my belt, 'cause I do want to run another marathon."
Her supporters hope she does, too — one that ends in 2012.
Friday, December 11, 2009
'Going Rogue': Hundreds brave cold for Palin's book, autograph
By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 12/10/2009 07:29:49 AM MST
var requestedWidth = 0;
Former Alaska governor and vice presidential... (Francisco Kjolseth/ The Salt Lake Tribune )
Niccole Clarke set up camp outside Costco in Salt Lake City Tuesday evening, determined to see Sarah Palin and get her book signed.
"It seems like cool people never come to Utah, so when they do, we get on it," she said.
Clarke and her father, sister and nearly 60 other Palin supporters shivered through the night until Wednesday to see the former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee, despite a 3 degree temperature that was the same as Palin's home of Wasilla, Alaska.
Palin arrived early, accompanied by her husband, Todd, their infant son, Trig, and her parents and aunt to cheers coming from the line that snaked down the cookware and copy paper aisle.
The former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee met briefly with three uniformed servicemen, including Staff Sgt. Tai Ho'o, who was nearly kept away by the frigid weather.
"I had no intention of coming because I thought we'd be camping out in the snow," said Ho'o, but showed up after being told there was plenty of space. Managers whisked him and the other servicemen to the front of the line.
The self-styled maverick Republican sat at a desk with red, white and blue bunting and, in an operation run with assembly-line precision, scrawled her signature in one copy of her new book -- "Going Rogue" -- after another with a big red marker.
She smiled at each, shook some hands or exchanged some pleasantries. Some asked her to sign shirts or hats and she obliged.
She signed books for all 830 people in line -- some carrying several copies -- and left early.
Written after she resigned as Alaska governor more than halfway through her term, Palin's book is a behind-the-scenes look at Sen. John McCain's tumultuous presidential run, settling scores and blaming staffers for problems along the way, according to excerpts. It tells how she balanced her family and career and lays out her political philosophy where she claims the conservative mantle from Ronald Reagan.
It is currently No. 1 on the New York Times ' nonfiction bestseller list.
Shirley McClay drove down from Logan and arrived at 5:15 p.m. to get the No. 1 spot.
"I have a real conviction to elect someone ... who has the same beliefs I have: anti-abortion, less government and more family-oriented," said McClay. "She needs to be supported in her beliefs."
The turnout, however, paled in comparison to other Palin events. In Arizona, thousands showed up. There were reportedly 1,500 in Minneapolis; 1,000 in Plano, Texas, and 800 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
There were no disturbances, as there was in Minnesota this week, when someone at the gathering chucked a tomato at Palin, but missed, hitting a nearby police officer.
Palin was scheduled to leave Salt Lake City Wednesday afternoon and do similar events in Reno, Nev., and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Palin's parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, mingled nearby. Sally Heath was born in Salt Lake City at Holy Cross Hospital, but her family moved when she was 3 years old.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," Chuck Heath said of his daughter's explosion on the public scene. "I'm a hunter and fisherman. Politics are all new to me."
Kent Savage arranged for a small group of children with Down syndrome and their parents to meet Palin. His organization The Joy of Downs, is a support group for parents and children with Down syndrome.
"It's just great to have someone of Sarah's stature that can present the joy of having a child with Down syndrome," Savage said.
Palin's son, Trig, who has Down syndrome, was introduced to onlookers gathered along the red velvet ropes set up to keep the crowd back.
Some shopping at Costco were caught by surprise by Palin's visit.
"We were just coming here for our dog food and there she is," said Matt Bedsaw. "Good for her, I guess."
Another man had to get help trying to find a vacuum in the aisle where the crowds were gathered.
Courtney Orwin heckled Palin as she pushed her cart past the crowd. "I can't stand her," Orwin said. "She's a quitter. Thank God she didn't win [the vice presidency]."
Palin was kept about 50 feet from reporters, who were herded by handlers into an employee break room before her arrival and invited to leave after about 90 minutes of book signing.
Fans began lining up outside Costco Tuesday evening. The store's managers let people camp on the concrete floor in the breezeway outside the main doors, where temperatures were still near-freezing, offering some protection from the elements.
Heaters were set up and guests were served hot chocolate through the night. At about 5 a.m., the doors were opened and the crowd moved indoors.
"We wanted to meet Sarah Palin. We just love how she loves America and think she's such a good family person ... and she actually knows what she's talking about," said Sara Whitchurch.
McKensie Black was in town from southern California, visiting family in Vernal and drove to Salt Lake City with her mother, Dixie Ufford. They bought an air mattress and pillows at a nearby store and claimed their spot at about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
"She's outspoken, kind of like us," said Ufford.
---
Utah GOP cold shoulder
While hundreds showered Sarah Palin with affection Wednesday, the head of the Utah Republican Party was still feeling snubbed.
Dave Hansen, the party's chairman, said he had tried for weeks to contact the Palin camp to set up some sort of town-hall style meeting with the former Alaska governor. They even worked through the congressional delegation to extend the invitation.
All they got in return was silence, until Hansen got an e-mail saying Palin didn't have room in her schedule for any events during her Utah visit.
The former governor arrived in Salt Lake City after midnight Wednesday morning, but the book signing didn't start until noon. Palin has done political events during her book tour, including one in Minnesota last week.
"I thought it was a little strange for someone who may be running for president or at least trying to build a national following," Hansen said.
Gov. Gary Herbert had also reached out to Palin to arrange a meeting Wednesday morning, but they couldn't find a time that worked for both. Palin's people had invited the governor to meet at the Costco before the signing.
"His schedule didn't allow the meeting to take place," said Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling.
- - Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 12/10/2009 07:29:49 AM MST
var requestedWidth = 0;
Former Alaska governor and vice presidential... (Francisco Kjolseth/ The Salt Lake Tribune )
Niccole Clarke set up camp outside Costco in Salt Lake City Tuesday evening, determined to see Sarah Palin and get her book signed.
"It seems like cool people never come to Utah, so when they do, we get on it," she said.
Clarke and her father, sister and nearly 60 other Palin supporters shivered through the night until Wednesday to see the former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee, despite a 3 degree temperature that was the same as Palin's home of Wasilla, Alaska.
Palin arrived early, accompanied by her husband, Todd, their infant son, Trig, and her parents and aunt to cheers coming from the line that snaked down the cookware and copy paper aisle.
The former Alaska governor and vice presidential nominee met briefly with three uniformed servicemen, including Staff Sgt. Tai Ho'o, who was nearly kept away by the frigid weather.
"I had no intention of coming because I thought we'd be camping out in the snow," said Ho'o, but showed up after being told there was plenty of space. Managers whisked him and the other servicemen to the front of the line.
The self-styled maverick Republican sat at a desk with red, white and blue bunting and, in an operation run with assembly-line precision, scrawled her signature in one copy of her new book -- "Going Rogue" -- after another with a big red marker.
She smiled at each, shook some hands or exchanged some pleasantries. Some asked her to sign shirts or hats and she obliged.
She signed books for all 830 people in line -- some carrying several copies -- and left early.
Written after she resigned as Alaska governor more than halfway through her term, Palin's book is a behind-the-scenes look at Sen. John McCain's tumultuous presidential run, settling scores and blaming staffers for problems along the way, according to excerpts. It tells how she balanced her family and career and lays out her political philosophy where she claims the conservative mantle from Ronald Reagan.
It is currently No. 1 on the New York Times ' nonfiction bestseller list.
Shirley McClay drove down from Logan and arrived at 5:15 p.m. to get the No. 1 spot.
"I have a real conviction to elect someone ... who has the same beliefs I have: anti-abortion, less government and more family-oriented," said McClay. "She needs to be supported in her beliefs."
The turnout, however, paled in comparison to other Palin events. In Arizona, thousands showed up. There were reportedly 1,500 in Minneapolis; 1,000 in Plano, Texas, and 800 in Colorado Springs, Colo.
There were no disturbances, as there was in Minnesota this week, when someone at the gathering chucked a tomato at Palin, but missed, hitting a nearby police officer.
Palin was scheduled to leave Salt Lake City Wednesday afternoon and do similar events in Reno, Nev., and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
Palin's parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, mingled nearby. Sally Heath was born in Salt Lake City at Holy Cross Hospital, but her family moved when she was 3 years old.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," Chuck Heath said of his daughter's explosion on the public scene. "I'm a hunter and fisherman. Politics are all new to me."
Kent Savage arranged for a small group of children with Down syndrome and their parents to meet Palin. His organization The Joy of Downs, is a support group for parents and children with Down syndrome.
"It's just great to have someone of Sarah's stature that can present the joy of having a child with Down syndrome," Savage said.
Palin's son, Trig, who has Down syndrome, was introduced to onlookers gathered along the red velvet ropes set up to keep the crowd back.
Some shopping at Costco were caught by surprise by Palin's visit.
"We were just coming here for our dog food and there she is," said Matt Bedsaw. "Good for her, I guess."
Another man had to get help trying to find a vacuum in the aisle where the crowds were gathered.
Courtney Orwin heckled Palin as she pushed her cart past the crowd. "I can't stand her," Orwin said. "She's a quitter. Thank God she didn't win [the vice presidency]."
Palin was kept about 50 feet from reporters, who were herded by handlers into an employee break room before her arrival and invited to leave after about 90 minutes of book signing.
Fans began lining up outside Costco Tuesday evening. The store's managers let people camp on the concrete floor in the breezeway outside the main doors, where temperatures were still near-freezing, offering some protection from the elements.
Heaters were set up and guests were served hot chocolate through the night. At about 5 a.m., the doors were opened and the crowd moved indoors.
"We wanted to meet Sarah Palin. We just love how she loves America and think she's such a good family person ... and she actually knows what she's talking about," said Sara Whitchurch.
McKensie Black was in town from southern California, visiting family in Vernal and drove to Salt Lake City with her mother, Dixie Ufford. They bought an air mattress and pillows at a nearby store and claimed their spot at about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
"She's outspoken, kind of like us," said Ufford.
---
Utah GOP cold shoulder
While hundreds showered Sarah Palin with affection Wednesday, the head of the Utah Republican Party was still feeling snubbed.
Dave Hansen, the party's chairman, said he had tried for weeks to contact the Palin camp to set up some sort of town-hall style meeting with the former Alaska governor. They even worked through the congressional delegation to extend the invitation.
All they got in return was silence, until Hansen got an e-mail saying Palin didn't have room in her schedule for any events during her Utah visit.
The former governor arrived in Salt Lake City after midnight Wednesday morning, but the book signing didn't start until noon. Palin has done political events during her book tour, including one in Minnesota last week.
"I thought it was a little strange for someone who may be running for president or at least trying to build a national following," Hansen said.
Gov. Gary Herbert had also reached out to Palin to arrange a meeting Wednesday morning, but they couldn't find a time that worked for both. Palin's people had invited the governor to meet at the Costco before the signing.
"His schedule didn't allow the meeting to take place," said Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling.
- - Robert Gehrke
Surprise! Palin likes Obama's Nobel speech
Surprise! Palin likes Obama's Nobel speech
Sarah Palin and President Obama don't agree on much, but last year's Republican vice presidential nominee just gave the president's defense of "just wars" a thumbs up in an interview with USA TODAY. In fact, she said that the president's address in Oslo, where he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, reminded her of what she wrote on the same subject in her hugely successful memoir, Going Rogue.
"I liked what he said," Palin told us in a phone interview. "I talked too in my book about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times." For Palin, that view strikes close to home: Her eldest son, 20-year-old Track, is an Army infantry member who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.
"I'm on my knees more than ever praying for his safety along with all of his fellow troops," Palin said. "Of course, war is the last thing any American, I believe, wants to have to engage in, but it's necessary. We have to stop these terrorists over there."
Conservatives shouldn't worry. Palin isn't going soft on Obama. The former Alaska governor went on to say that former president George W. Bush "did a great job of reminding Americans every single day that he was in office" of the lessons of the 9/11 attacks. "By the way, I'd like to see President Obama follow more closely in the footsteps of George Bush and his passion for keeping the homeland safe," Palin added.
The governor, seen with husband Todd in a photo taken by Larry Meyer of the Associated Press at a book signing in Billings, Mont., earlier this week, spoke to USA TODAY as she was wrapping up a three-week, 18,000-plus mile book tour. She talked about journey, politics and her future. Pick up tomorrow's paper to read all about it.
Here's an audio clip of Palin talking about Obama's speech and her son, Track:
Sarah Palin and President Obama don't agree on much, but last year's Republican vice presidential nominee just gave the president's defense of "just wars" a thumbs up in an interview with USA TODAY. In fact, she said that the president's address in Oslo, where he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, reminded her of what she wrote on the same subject in her hugely successful memoir, Going Rogue.
"I liked what he said," Palin told us in a phone interview. "I talked too in my book about the fallen nature of man and why war is necessary at times." For Palin, that view strikes close to home: Her eldest son, 20-year-old Track, is an Army infantry member who recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.
"I'm on my knees more than ever praying for his safety along with all of his fellow troops," Palin said. "Of course, war is the last thing any American, I believe, wants to have to engage in, but it's necessary. We have to stop these terrorists over there."
Conservatives shouldn't worry. Palin isn't going soft on Obama. The former Alaska governor went on to say that former president George W. Bush "did a great job of reminding Americans every single day that he was in office" of the lessons of the 9/11 attacks. "By the way, I'd like to see President Obama follow more closely in the footsteps of George Bush and his passion for keeping the homeland safe," Palin added.
The governor, seen with husband Todd in a photo taken by Larry Meyer of the Associated Press at a book signing in Billings, Mont., earlier this week, spoke to USA TODAY as she was wrapping up a three-week, 18,000-plus mile book tour. She talked about journey, politics and her future. Pick up tomorrow's paper to read all about it.
Here's an audio clip of Palin talking about Obama's speech and her son, Track:
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sarh Palin's Washinton Post Commentary on Copenhagen Global Warming Summit
Copenhagen's political science
By Sarah PalinWednesday, December 9, 2009
With the publication of damaging e-mails from a climate research center in Britain, the radical environmental movement appears to face a tipping point. The revelation of appalling actions by so-called climate change experts allows the American public to finally understand the concerns so many of us have articulated on this issue.
Climate-gate," as the e-mails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia have become known, exposes a highly politicized scientific circle -- the same circle whose work underlies efforts at the Copenhagen climate change conference. The agenda-driven policies being pushed in Copenhagen won't change the weather, but they would change our economy for the worse.
The e-mails reveal that leading climate "experts" deliberately destroyed records, manipulated data to "hide the decline" in global temperatures, and tried to silence their critics by preventing them from publishing in peer-reviewed journals. What's more, the documents show that there was no real consensus even within the CRU crowd. Some scientists had strong doubts about the accuracy of estimates of temperatures from centuries ago, estimates used to back claims that more recent temperatures are rising at an alarming rate.
This scandal obviously calls into question the proposals being pushed in Copenhagen. I've always believed that policy should be based on sound science, not politics. As governor of Alaska, I took a stand against politicized science when I sued the federal government over its decision to list the polar bear as an endangered species despite the fact that the polar bear population had more than doubled. I got clobbered for my actions by radical environmentalists nationwide, but I stood by my view that adding a healthy species to the endangered list under the guise of "climate change impacts" was an abuse of the Endangered Species Act. This would have irreversibly hurt both Alaska's economy and the nation's, while also reducing opportunities for responsible development.
Our representatives in Copenhagen should remember that good environmental policymaking is about weighing real-world costs and benefits -- not pursuing a political agenda. That's not to say I deny the reality of some changes in climate -- far from it. I saw the impact of changing weather patterns firsthand while serving as governor of our only Arctic state. I was one of the first governors to create a subcabinet to deal specifically with the issue and to recommend common-sense policies to respond to the coastal erosion, thawing permafrost and retreating sea ice that affect Alaska's communities and infrastructure.
But while we recognize the occurrence of these natural, cyclical environmental trends, we can't say with assurance that man's activities cause weather changes. We can say, however, that any potential benefits of proposed emissions reduction policies are far outweighed by their economic costs. And those costs are real. Unlike the proposals China and India offered prior to Copenhagen -- which actually allow them to increase their emissions -- President Obama's proposal calls for serious cuts in our own long-term carbon emissions. Meeting such targets would require Congress to pass its cap-and-tax plans, which will result in job losses and higher energy costs (as Obama admitted during the campaign). That's not exactly what most Americans are hoping for these days. And as public opposition continues to stall Congress's cap-and-tax legislation, Environmental Protection Agency bureaucrats plan to regulate carbon emissions themselves, doing an end run around the American people.
In fact, we're not the only nation whose people are questioning climate change schemes. In the European Union, energy prices skyrocketed after it began a cap-and-tax program. Meanwhile, Australia's Parliament recently defeated a cap-and-tax bill. Surely other nations will follow suit, particularly as the climate e-mail scandal continues to unfold.
In his inaugural address, President Obama declared his intention to "restore science to its rightful place." But instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante. He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a "deal." Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people. What Obama really hopes to bring home from Copenhagen is more pressure to pass the Democrats' cap-and-tax proposal. This is a political move. The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs -- particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science.
Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen.
The writer was the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president and governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009.
By Sarah PalinWednesday, December 9, 2009
With the publication of damaging e-mails from a climate research center in Britain, the radical environmental movement appears to face a tipping point. The revelation of appalling actions by so-called climate change experts allows the American public to finally understand the concerns so many of us have articulated on this issue.
Climate-gate," as the e-mails and other documents from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia have become known, exposes a highly politicized scientific circle -- the same circle whose work underlies efforts at the Copenhagen climate change conference. The agenda-driven policies being pushed in Copenhagen won't change the weather, but they would change our economy for the worse.
The e-mails reveal that leading climate "experts" deliberately destroyed records, manipulated data to "hide the decline" in global temperatures, and tried to silence their critics by preventing them from publishing in peer-reviewed journals. What's more, the documents show that there was no real consensus even within the CRU crowd. Some scientists had strong doubts about the accuracy of estimates of temperatures from centuries ago, estimates used to back claims that more recent temperatures are rising at an alarming rate.
This scandal obviously calls into question the proposals being pushed in Copenhagen. I've always believed that policy should be based on sound science, not politics. As governor of Alaska, I took a stand against politicized science when I sued the federal government over its decision to list the polar bear as an endangered species despite the fact that the polar bear population had more than doubled. I got clobbered for my actions by radical environmentalists nationwide, but I stood by my view that adding a healthy species to the endangered list under the guise of "climate change impacts" was an abuse of the Endangered Species Act. This would have irreversibly hurt both Alaska's economy and the nation's, while also reducing opportunities for responsible development.
Our representatives in Copenhagen should remember that good environmental policymaking is about weighing real-world costs and benefits -- not pursuing a political agenda. That's not to say I deny the reality of some changes in climate -- far from it. I saw the impact of changing weather patterns firsthand while serving as governor of our only Arctic state. I was one of the first governors to create a subcabinet to deal specifically with the issue and to recommend common-sense policies to respond to the coastal erosion, thawing permafrost and retreating sea ice that affect Alaska's communities and infrastructure.
But while we recognize the occurrence of these natural, cyclical environmental trends, we can't say with assurance that man's activities cause weather changes. We can say, however, that any potential benefits of proposed emissions reduction policies are far outweighed by their economic costs. And those costs are real. Unlike the proposals China and India offered prior to Copenhagen -- which actually allow them to increase their emissions -- President Obama's proposal calls for serious cuts in our own long-term carbon emissions. Meeting such targets would require Congress to pass its cap-and-tax plans, which will result in job losses and higher energy costs (as Obama admitted during the campaign). That's not exactly what most Americans are hoping for these days. And as public opposition continues to stall Congress's cap-and-tax legislation, Environmental Protection Agency bureaucrats plan to regulate carbon emissions themselves, doing an end run around the American people.
In fact, we're not the only nation whose people are questioning climate change schemes. In the European Union, energy prices skyrocketed after it began a cap-and-tax program. Meanwhile, Australia's Parliament recently defeated a cap-and-tax bill. Surely other nations will follow suit, particularly as the climate e-mail scandal continues to unfold.
In his inaugural address, President Obama declared his intention to "restore science to its rightful place." But instead of staying home from Copenhagen and sending a message that the United States will not be a party to fraudulent scientific practices, the president has upped the ante. He plans to fly in at the climax of the conference in hopes of sealing a "deal." Whatever deal he gets, it will be no deal for the American people. What Obama really hopes to bring home from Copenhagen is more pressure to pass the Democrats' cap-and-tax proposal. This is a political move. The last thing America needs is misguided legislation that will raise taxes and cost jobs -- particularly when the push for such legislation rests on agenda-driven science.
Without trustworthy science and with so much at stake, Americans should be wary about what comes out of this politicized conference. The president should boycott Copenhagen.
The writer was the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president and governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009.
Poll Shocker: Palin Within 1% of Obama
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 4:57 PM
By: David A. Patten
Riding a wave of positive publicity from her book tour, Sarah Palin's favorable rating has crept within just 1 percent of President Barack Obama's job approval rating, according to the latest polls by CNN and USA Today/Gallup.
The results suggest Palin has fixed the dent in her popularity ratings created this summer when she announced she was stepping down as governor of Alaska.
According to a CNN poll released Monday, 46 percent of voters now say they like Palin. That's the same level of popularity she enjoyed before she resigned the Alaska governorship.
The same percentage of likely voters – 46 percent – say they don't like the former Alaska governor, a clear indication that she continues to be a polarizing figure. Not surprisingly, the breakdown is sharply along party lines: 80 percent of Republicans like Palin, while 70 percent of Democrats don't.
Pundits are attributing her rebound in the polls to a wave of popularity stemming from her new book, “Going Rogue.”
Although popularity polls and job approval polls differ, the results suggest that Palin is closing the gap on Obama.
On Monday, a USA Today/Gallup poll reported that only 47 percent of likely voters approve of the president's job performance.
Obama apparently has become as polarizing as Palin: Only 14 percent of GOP voters approve of the job Obama is doing in the White House. That compares to a job-approval rating of 83 percent for Obama among Democrats, the polls show.
The Los Angeles Times' Top of the Ticket blog commented Tuesday: "The very same polarization [seen with Palin] now holds true for Obama, the fresh fellow from the old Chicago Democratic machine who was supposed to bring hope and change to a nation tired of divisive politics and the harsh partisan tone of Washington."
One big worry for the president: Since November, his approval rating with independents has dropped 7 points, USA Today reports.
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
By: David A. Patten
Riding a wave of positive publicity from her book tour, Sarah Palin's favorable rating has crept within just 1 percent of President Barack Obama's job approval rating, according to the latest polls by CNN and USA Today/Gallup.
The results suggest Palin has fixed the dent in her popularity ratings created this summer when she announced she was stepping down as governor of Alaska.
According to a CNN poll released Monday, 46 percent of voters now say they like Palin. That's the same level of popularity she enjoyed before she resigned the Alaska governorship.
The same percentage of likely voters – 46 percent – say they don't like the former Alaska governor, a clear indication that she continues to be a polarizing figure. Not surprisingly, the breakdown is sharply along party lines: 80 percent of Republicans like Palin, while 70 percent of Democrats don't.
Pundits are attributing her rebound in the polls to a wave of popularity stemming from her new book, “Going Rogue.”
Although popularity polls and job approval polls differ, the results suggest that Palin is closing the gap on Obama.
On Monday, a USA Today/Gallup poll reported that only 47 percent of likely voters approve of the president's job performance.
Obama apparently has become as polarizing as Palin: Only 14 percent of GOP voters approve of the job Obama is doing in the White House. That compares to a job-approval rating of 83 percent for Obama among Democrats, the polls show.
The Los Angeles Times' Top of the Ticket blog commented Tuesday: "The very same polarization [seen with Palin] now holds true for Obama, the fresh fellow from the old Chicago Democratic machine who was supposed to bring hope and change to a nation tired of divisive politics and the harsh partisan tone of Washington."
One big worry for the president: Since November, his approval rating with independents has dropped 7 points, USA Today reports.
© 2009 Newsmax. All rights reserved.
POLLS SHOW Sarah Palin just as popular as Barack Obama
Sarah Palin just as popular as Barack Obama? Polls say you betcha
December 8, 2009 4:49 pm
Are Americans who want to throw rotten tomatoes at Sarah Palin slowly becoming the minority, while the number of people who want to throw them at President Obama is noticeably increasing?
A Top of the Ticket blog post today notes two recent surveys that show the former Alaska governor creeping up behind Obama in the polls. The president’s new Gallup Poll shows a new low for his job approval ratings -- 47% (down from 53% last month). The new CNN/Opinion Research Poll, on the other hand, says Palin is now at 46% favorable. She is so close she could reach out and place that tomato on Obama’s head herself.
December 8, 2009 4:49 pm
Are Americans who want to throw rotten tomatoes at Sarah Palin slowly becoming the minority, while the number of people who want to throw them at President Obama is noticeably increasing?
A Top of the Ticket blog post today notes two recent surveys that show the former Alaska governor creeping up behind Obama in the polls. The president’s new Gallup Poll shows a new low for his job approval ratings -- 47% (down from 53% last month). The new CNN/Opinion Research Poll, on the other hand, says Palin is now at 46% favorable. She is so close she could reach out and place that tomato on Obama’s head herself.
Palin's Iowa Book Tour Visits Renews Talk of 2012 Presidential Run
Dec. 7, 2009
Palin Iowa Stop Renews 2012 Talk
Book Tour Sweeps Through Hawkeye State; Pundits Point Anew to Possible Presidential Run
CBS) Sarah Palin's book tour landed in Iowa over the weekend.
And, reports CBS News Correspondent Michelle Gielan, as the former running mate of GOP presidential candidate John McCain greeted hundreds of fans in Sioux City, power players in Washington were abuzz about whether the stop signals a Palin try for the Oval Office in 2012.
"The beauty for Sarah Palin is that a successful book tour can also be a successful launch of a presidential career,' CBS News political consultant John Dickerson said of the ex-Alaska governor.
Iowa isn't just any state. Its caucuses kick off the 2012 campaign season.
And buyers there of Palin's "Going Rogue" already sound a lot like potential voters.
"Yes, she has a chance," one told CBS News. "I think people are tired of the way things are run."
"I really think that she's a great symbol for the United States," said another.
Plain won over the conservative Iowa crowd after taking on a tougher audience Saturday -- Washington journalists gathered for their annual Gridiron Dinner.
In a joke-fueled speech, Palin said her book tour is better than her failed campaign with McCain, quipping, "The view is much better from inside the bus than under it."
McCain continues to insist he's proud of Palin, asserting on the NBC News program "Meet the Press" that, "We need vigorous discussion and debate in the Republican Party. She's gonna be a big part of that discussion and debate in the future."
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Palin Iowa Stop Renews 2012 Talk
Book Tour Sweeps Through Hawkeye State; Pundits Point Anew to Possible Presidential Run
CBS) Sarah Palin's book tour landed in Iowa over the weekend.
And, reports CBS News Correspondent Michelle Gielan, as the former running mate of GOP presidential candidate John McCain greeted hundreds of fans in Sioux City, power players in Washington were abuzz about whether the stop signals a Palin try for the Oval Office in 2012.
"The beauty for Sarah Palin is that a successful book tour can also be a successful launch of a presidential career,' CBS News political consultant John Dickerson said of the ex-Alaska governor.
Iowa isn't just any state. Its caucuses kick off the 2012 campaign season.
And buyers there of Palin's "Going Rogue" already sound a lot like potential voters.
"Yes, she has a chance," one told CBS News. "I think people are tired of the way things are run."
"I really think that she's a great symbol for the United States," said another.
Plain won over the conservative Iowa crowd after taking on a tougher audience Saturday -- Washington journalists gathered for their annual Gridiron Dinner.
In a joke-fueled speech, Palin said her book tour is better than her failed campaign with McCain, quipping, "The view is much better from inside the bus than under it."
McCain continues to insist he's proud of Palin, asserting on the NBC News program "Meet the Press" that, "We need vigorous discussion and debate in the Republican Party. She's gonna be a big part of that discussion and debate in the future."
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SARAH PALIN CONFRONTS OFFICIAL WASHINGTON IN THE COMEDY "GRIDIRON CLUB" Dinner
Sarah Palin: What she said at Gridiron dinner
Sarah Palin served up 11-1/2 minutes of gentle gibes aimed at Democrats, the media, the McCain campaign, and herself during an appearance at Saturday evening’s Gridiron 12 dinner in Washington.
Ms. Palin’s powerful impact as a cultural figure and potential future presidential candidate was much in evidence at the black tie event. The club’s winter dinner is usually a low key, off-the-record affair. This year’s dinner, featuring Palin and liberal Rep. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts as speakers, drew 190 journalists and spouses, an increase of 17.3 percent from the number who attended last year. The Gridiron Club’s members are veteran reporters and bureau chiefs.
In a nod to the intense media interest in Palin, the Gridiron Club’s board dropped a 100 year old rule – often violated – that comments made at the dinner were off the record and could not be reported. Instead, twittering was allowed, although not during speeches or songs. Palin tweets herself and noted in her dinner remarks that she had “the Twitter thing going.”
Palin was surrounded by reporters at the pre-dinner reception held on an evening when Washington was in the midst of an early snow storm. The former Alaska governor was dressed in a stylish black dress and carried what she told Chicago Sun Times correspondent Lynn Sweet was a purse made from an otter.
The appearance was a family affair. Todd Palin sat at the head table, and during her talk Palin called out to her parents who stood at the back of the ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel and waved to the crowd. Palin quipped that her mom and dad “crashed the party.”
On the political front, Palin said that “if the election had turned out differently, I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book “Going Rogaine.” Biden is known for many things but not a full head of hair.
While Palin was not specific about her political plans, she noted that on Sunday she would be at a book store in Iowa, which is an influential proving ground for presidential candidates. “Come early, long lines are expected,” she said.
Tweaking the media
Much of Palin’s gentle political humor was aimed at the media.
“Sometimes you’ve got to trust your instincts, and when you don’t you end up in a place like this,” she said. Palin also tweaked journalists for buying books and turning immediately to the index to see if they are mentioned. Her book does not have an index but she made up index entries during her speech including: “A. Alaska, media not understanding it, page 1 to 432.”
One other comment about the media: “It is good to be here though, really, in front of this audience of leading journalists and intellectuals or, as I like to call it, a death panel,” she said.
Palin’s book notes the sometimes troubled relationship she had with McCain campaign staffers. Talking about her bus tour for her book, “Going Rogue,” she said, “the view is so much better inside the bus than under the bus.”
In a reference to the rocky relations she had with Steve Schmidt, McCain’s bald campaign manager, Palin said that if she needed a bald campaign manager, “all that I am left with is James Carville.” Carville is a Democratic strategist.
Poking fun at herself
The ritual at these dinners calls for self-deprecatory humor and Palin obliged. Being at the dinner meant “at least now I can put a face to the newspapers I do read,” she said, referencing her lack of response to Katie Couric’s question about what newspapers or magazines she liked to read. Palin also noted that she was “feeling right at home” since she could come down from her room and “could see the Russian embassy” – poking fun at her “you can actually see Russia” from Alaska campaign comment.
And the former Alaska Governor recounted being on a flight and reading a magazine with President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the cover. Another passenger said “Hu’s the Communist.” Palin said, “I thought he was asking a question.”
The evening ended with what members sarcastically refer to as “the mighty Gridiron chorus” singing a humorous rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. There, standing with the journalists and vocalists from the United States Marine Band, was a smiling Sarah Palin. The song recounted gifts given by Rush Limbaugh.
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, Rush Limbaugh gave to me: 12 flaming liberals, hunted down in the wild and field dressed, medium well-done, seared on the fatty edges.” At which point Palin chimed in, “right next to the mashed potatoes.”
Correction: An earlier version of this blog entry contained an incorrect attendance figure for the Gridiron dinner and overstated the percentage by which attendance increased.
Sarah Palin served up 11-1/2 minutes of gentle gibes aimed at Democrats, the media, the McCain campaign, and herself during an appearance at Saturday evening’s Gridiron 12 dinner in Washington.
Ms. Palin’s powerful impact as a cultural figure and potential future presidential candidate was much in evidence at the black tie event. The club’s winter dinner is usually a low key, off-the-record affair. This year’s dinner, featuring Palin and liberal Rep. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts as speakers, drew 190 journalists and spouses, an increase of 17.3 percent from the number who attended last year. The Gridiron Club’s members are veteran reporters and bureau chiefs.
In a nod to the intense media interest in Palin, the Gridiron Club’s board dropped a 100 year old rule – often violated – that comments made at the dinner were off the record and could not be reported. Instead, twittering was allowed, although not during speeches or songs. Palin tweets herself and noted in her dinner remarks that she had “the Twitter thing going.”
Palin was surrounded by reporters at the pre-dinner reception held on an evening when Washington was in the midst of an early snow storm. The former Alaska governor was dressed in a stylish black dress and carried what she told Chicago Sun Times correspondent Lynn Sweet was a purse made from an otter.
The appearance was a family affair. Todd Palin sat at the head table, and during her talk Palin called out to her parents who stood at the back of the ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel and waved to the crowd. Palin quipped that her mom and dad “crashed the party.”
On the political front, Palin said that “if the election had turned out differently, I could be the one overseeing the signing of bailout checks and Vice President Biden could be on the road selling his book “Going Rogaine.” Biden is known for many things but not a full head of hair.
While Palin was not specific about her political plans, she noted that on Sunday she would be at a book store in Iowa, which is an influential proving ground for presidential candidates. “Come early, long lines are expected,” she said.
Tweaking the media
Much of Palin’s gentle political humor was aimed at the media.
“Sometimes you’ve got to trust your instincts, and when you don’t you end up in a place like this,” she said. Palin also tweaked journalists for buying books and turning immediately to the index to see if they are mentioned. Her book does not have an index but she made up index entries during her speech including: “A. Alaska, media not understanding it, page 1 to 432.”
One other comment about the media: “It is good to be here though, really, in front of this audience of leading journalists and intellectuals or, as I like to call it, a death panel,” she said.
Palin’s book notes the sometimes troubled relationship she had with McCain campaign staffers. Talking about her bus tour for her book, “Going Rogue,” she said, “the view is so much better inside the bus than under the bus.”
In a reference to the rocky relations she had with Steve Schmidt, McCain’s bald campaign manager, Palin said that if she needed a bald campaign manager, “all that I am left with is James Carville.” Carville is a Democratic strategist.
Poking fun at herself
The ritual at these dinners calls for self-deprecatory humor and Palin obliged. Being at the dinner meant “at least now I can put a face to the newspapers I do read,” she said, referencing her lack of response to Katie Couric’s question about what newspapers or magazines she liked to read. Palin also noted that she was “feeling right at home” since she could come down from her room and “could see the Russian embassy” – poking fun at her “you can actually see Russia” from Alaska campaign comment.
And the former Alaska Governor recounted being on a flight and reading a magazine with President Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao on the cover. Another passenger said “Hu’s the Communist.” Palin said, “I thought he was asking a question.”
The evening ended with what members sarcastically refer to as “the mighty Gridiron chorus” singing a humorous rendition of the Twelve Days of Christmas. There, standing with the journalists and vocalists from the United States Marine Band, was a smiling Sarah Palin. The song recounted gifts given by Rush Limbaugh.
“On the twelfth day of Christmas, Rush Limbaugh gave to me: 12 flaming liberals, hunted down in the wild and field dressed, medium well-done, seared on the fatty edges.” At which point Palin chimed in, “right next to the mashed potatoes.”
Correction: An earlier version of this blog entry contained an incorrect attendance figure for the Gridiron dinner and overstated the percentage by which attendance increased.
Man Arrested for Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin
Updated December 07, 2009
Man Arrested for Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin, Police Say
FOXNews.com
The incident happened during a book signing at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
A man was arrested for allegedly throwing two tomatoes at Sarah Palin from the second floor balcony during a book signing event at the Mall of America in Minnesota, MyFoxTwinCities.com. reported.
Neither tomato came close hitting the former 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, but did hit a police officer in the face, the station reported.
The unidentified man may face charges for assaulting a police officer, according to the station.
Die-hard supporters treated the event like another Black Friday, lining up outside in freezing weather before the mall doors opened at 5 a.m.
Emily Calhoon, a high school junior from Minnetonka, took the day off school with a group of fellow students and arrived at 4:45 a.m. Calhoon, 16, said she likes Palin's conservatism.
"She's a lot more relatable than the stereotypical old rich white male," said Calhoon as she waited in line, clutching a copy of Palin's memoir of her life and political career, "Going Rogue."
The former Alaska governor arrived just before noon. Wearing her trademark red, she took the stage joined by her husband Todd and carrying their son, Trig.
Palin did not address the crowd and did not take questions from the large contingent of reporters. She started signing books immediately.
Fans wanting a signed copy had to purchase it from Barnes & Noble, the event's sponsor. Most in line had two copies.
Barnes & Noble would not reveal the number of books it sold at its Mall of America store for the event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Man Arrested for Throwing Tomatoes at Sarah Palin, Police Say
FOXNews.com
The incident happened during a book signing at the Mall of America in Minnesota.
A man was arrested for allegedly throwing two tomatoes at Sarah Palin from the second floor balcony during a book signing event at the Mall of America in Minnesota, MyFoxTwinCities.com. reported.
Neither tomato came close hitting the former 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, but did hit a police officer in the face, the station reported.
The unidentified man may face charges for assaulting a police officer, according to the station.
Die-hard supporters treated the event like another Black Friday, lining up outside in freezing weather before the mall doors opened at 5 a.m.
Emily Calhoon, a high school junior from Minnetonka, took the day off school with a group of fellow students and arrived at 4:45 a.m. Calhoon, 16, said she likes Palin's conservatism.
"She's a lot more relatable than the stereotypical old rich white male," said Calhoon as she waited in line, clutching a copy of Palin's memoir of her life and political career, "Going Rogue."
The former Alaska governor arrived just before noon. Wearing her trademark red, she took the stage joined by her husband Todd and carrying their son, Trig.
Palin did not address the crowd and did not take questions from the large contingent of reporters. She started signing books immediately.
Fans wanting a signed copy had to purchase it from Barnes & Noble, the event's sponsor. Most in line had two copies.
Barnes & Noble would not reveal the number of books it sold at its Mall of America store for the event.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sarah Palin rises in polls as Obama slips, new surveys show
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: Sarah Palin rises in polls as Obama slips, new surveys show
President Obama’s job approval rating has hit a new low, even as Sarah Palin’s popularity appears to be on the rebound, new polls show.
The latest USA Today/Gallup Poll puts Mr. Obama’s job approval rating at 47 percent, a new low for his 10-month administration. His job approval ratings rose briefly after last week’s announcement of a new policy in Afghanistan but then fell back in Dec. 4-6 polling, Gallup said.
Gallup reported finding significant opposition both to Obama’s policies on healthcare reform and on Afghanistan.
Strong partisan feelings
The partisan split is deep and wide in Obama’s approval ratings. Fourteen percent of Republicans approve of Obama’s performance, versus 42 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats, Gallup found. Since November, when the president’s approval rating was 53 percent, his poll numbers have fallen three percentage points among Democrats, seven points among independents, and four points among Republicans, Gallup said.
As for Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate, 46 percent of Americans have a favorable view of her and 46 percent have an unfavorable view, according to a new poll by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. Those figures represent progress for Ms. Palin: When she resigned as Alaska’s governor in July, her favorability rating in CNN’s poll dropped to 39 percent.
The partisan divide in Palin’s favorability ratings is sharp. Among Republicans, 8 in 10 have a favorable view of Palin, who is now drawing large crowds as she tours the US selling her book “Going Rogue: An American Life.” But more than 7 in 10 Democrats hold negative views of Palin. Independents are evenly divided on her, CNN found.
Palin’s appeal to men
“John McCain put Palin on his ticket in 2008 to appeal to female voters, but it looks like men are a natural constituency for her,” CNN polling director Keating Holland said in a statement. According to the poll, 51 percent of men see Palin in a positive light, whereas a nearly equal number of women view her negatively.
According to Mr. Holland, “even within GOP circles, Republican men like Palin more than Republican women.”
The CNN poll was conducted Dec. 2-3 with 1,041 adult Americans contacted by phone. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Gallup poll was conducted Dec. 4-6 with 1,529 adults and also has a 3-percentage-point margin of error.
President Obama’s job approval rating has hit a new low, even as Sarah Palin’s popularity appears to be on the rebound, new polls show.
The latest USA Today/Gallup Poll puts Mr. Obama’s job approval rating at 47 percent, a new low for his 10-month administration. His job approval ratings rose briefly after last week’s announcement of a new policy in Afghanistan but then fell back in Dec. 4-6 polling, Gallup said.
Gallup reported finding significant opposition both to Obama’s policies on healthcare reform and on Afghanistan.
Strong partisan feelings
The partisan split is deep and wide in Obama’s approval ratings. Fourteen percent of Republicans approve of Obama’s performance, versus 42 percent of independents and 83 percent of Democrats, Gallup found. Since November, when the president’s approval rating was 53 percent, his poll numbers have fallen three percentage points among Democrats, seven points among independents, and four points among Republicans, Gallup said.
As for Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate, 46 percent of Americans have a favorable view of her and 46 percent have an unfavorable view, according to a new poll by CNN/Opinion Research Corp. Those figures represent progress for Ms. Palin: When she resigned as Alaska’s governor in July, her favorability rating in CNN’s poll dropped to 39 percent.
The partisan divide in Palin’s favorability ratings is sharp. Among Republicans, 8 in 10 have a favorable view of Palin, who is now drawing large crowds as she tours the US selling her book “Going Rogue: An American Life.” But more than 7 in 10 Democrats hold negative views of Palin. Independents are evenly divided on her, CNN found.
Palin’s appeal to men
“John McCain put Palin on his ticket in 2008 to appeal to female voters, but it looks like men are a natural constituency for her,” CNN polling director Keating Holland said in a statement. According to the poll, 51 percent of men see Palin in a positive light, whereas a nearly equal number of women view her negatively.
According to Mr. Holland, “even within GOP circles, Republican men like Palin more than Republican women.”
The CNN poll was conducted Dec. 2-3 with 1,041 adult Americans contacted by phone. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. The Gallup poll was conducted Dec. 4-6 with 1,529 adults and also has a 3-percentage-point margin of error.
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