You probably don't need me to figure this one out, but Sarah Palin's autobiography is going to be huge. The same crowd of people who buy those Wal-Mart exclusive albums from bands who peaked in the mid 1970's are going to eat this book up like hotcakes put in front of a drunk frat boy at IHOP. And Mrs. Palin will not go away. Not now, not ever, and especially not if she manages to snag the G.O.P.'s nomination in 2012, especially if she comes out with another book about policy, lies, deceit, and the evilness of the left. Going Rogue, which comes out in two weeks, should prove to be the ideal launching point, if the product description is anything to go by:
One year ago, Sarah Palin burst onto the national political stage like a comet. Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable woman really is.
On September 3, 2008 Alaska Governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention that electrified the nation and instantly made her one of the most recognizable women in the world.
As chief executive of America's largest state, she had built a record as a reformer who cast aside politics-as-usual and pushed through changes other politicians only talked about: Energy independence. Ethics reform. And the biggest private sector infrastructure project in U.S. history. And while revitalizing public school funding and ensuring the state met its responsibilities to seniors and Alaska Native populations, Palin also beat the political "good ol' boys club" at their own game and brought Big Oil to heel.
Like her GOP running mate, John McCain, Palin wasn't a packaged and over-produced candidate. She was a Main Street American woman: a working mom, wife of a blue collar union man, and mother of five children, the eldest of whom was serving his country in a yearlong deployment in Iraq and the youngest, an infant with special needs. Palin's hometown story touched a populist nerve, rallying hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans to the GOP ticket.
But as the campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for both praise and criticism. Supporters called her "refreshing" and "honest," a kitchen-table public servant they felt would fight for their interests. Opponents derided her as a wide-eyed Pollyanna unprepared for national leadership. But none of them knew the real Sarah Palin.
In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom's-eye view of high-stakes national politics—from patriots dedicated to "Country First" to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost.
Going Rogue traces one ordinary citizen's extraordinary journey and imparts Palin's vision of a way forward for America and her unfailing hope in the greatest nation on earth.
It's not even worth picking apart paragraph by paragraph, but just take a look at that mess. I love how Alaska is referred to as "the nation's largest state," which it is, but not in any meaningful way. I love how, in less than 250 words, there are at least 150 different ways of describing Palin as "normal," "down to earth," and "like you, the common man." I also love the reprisal of McCain's awful slogan ("Country First"), and that the words "refreshing" and "honest" appear in quotation marks somewhat ironically.
Going Rogue is only $9 on Amazon, which is a low enough price point that I might just buy it because it’s about the same price as most of the awful horror movies I pay money to see in January for the laughs and frustration. Beyond that, I’ve been looking for the perfect book to pair with The God Delusion, just in case there’s a human in a closet at an Amazon building whose job it is to read receipts. I want to blow minds.
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