Must-See Photos of Sarah and Me!!! A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

As many of my readers know, I had the honor of meeting Todd and Sarah Palin in Reno, Nevada, as it was one of Sarah's many Going Rogue Book Tour stops. (Click here, here, and here to read my three-part whirlwind account of meeting Sarah). The photos have been released for viewing, so I am posting the photos of Sarah, Todd and myself below. I am planning on purchasing each of the photos and making a photo montage as a way to remember the event. For all of those who were lucky enough to attend a book signing and meet Sarah, click here to visit awesome Photographer Shealah Craighead's site to see your photos. Shealah did a great job taking thousands of photographs of Sarah and her happy supporters throughout the entire tour.





















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Purchase Going Rogue Pictures

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com



As you know, on November 21st, I was at the Rochester Going Rogue book signing. Photographer Shealah Craighead has now put the pictures of the event online, and they're available for purchase. She took over 1200 pictures in New York, and I am particularly excited because I had the honor of volunteering at the event, which affords me a multitude of pictures from which to choose. I will definitely be purchasing a few. Great job, Shealah!

Early in the photo album are two pictures of the Governor and I conversing, taken in the back upon her arrival, but there are so many others where I am in the background having the time of my life. Seeing these photographs was like reliving that amazing experience where I got to hear so many people interacting with her. I wrote about that experience in detail and included pictures and a video here and followed up with more pictures here.

Go straight to the Rochester, NY photo album by clicking here to see what it was like for me to work alongside Governor Palin that day, and see all the people who came out to show their support for America's common sense conservative.

Go here for a choice of other book tour stops of which you'd like to see pictures.

If you took part in the tour, treat yourself by purchasing one or more pictures, and if you know others who participated, why not surprise them with pictures they will surely cherish for many years to come?

More like a homecoming than a booksigning

The last few days seemed very quiet regarding Sarah Palin news. But things heated up again today as Palin signed books from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Curtis D. Menard Sports Center in her hometown of Wasilla.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that "at least 750 people have turned out in Sarah Palin's hometown to get a signed copy of the former governor and Republican vice presidential candidate's best-selling memoir, "Going Rogue.""

Palin had received a warm welcome one week ago at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage and Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks, but since the bases didn't have time to prepare for the general public, they were only open to military personnel.

Due to an overwhelming response, Palin vowed to hold another Alaska signing that everyone could visit and that was the event that took place today.

The Anchorage Daily news reported that, "the Wasilla event felt more like a homecoming than anything. Most people waiting in yellow-rope cordoned lines on the indoor turf floor of the sports complex live in the Valley. Many said they knew Palin, her children or her parents personally."

It seems as though today's book signing won't be the only thing to discuss as Palin tweeted this before heading to the event...
"Heading 2 book signing event but will b posting on FaceBook page new,grave concerns about Congress/Prez"rushed" action2 take over healthcare."

With Palin's Facebook posts becoming major news stories, it will be interesting to hear what the former Governor has to say about the health care bill moving forward in the Senate.

See the gallery of photos from the Wasilla book signing at The Daily Anchorage News

Read more articles by the National Sarah Palin Examiner at Examiner.com
Follow @PalinExaminer on Twitter and Facebook

The Sarah Post You've ALL Been Waiting for: Meeting Sarah: Part Three- A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Hello, readers, this is the post I know many of you have been waiting for. I am going to let you know the rest of the story, so to speak. As I left you all hanging inside that Reno Starbucks, it make the most sense to pick up the story back there:

Dan, Emily and I sat in the warm surroundings of Starbucks. There is just something about Starbucks that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside especially at Christmastime. Remember how I wrote that I had a radio interview to prepare for? Well, I sat down with my coffee in one of those big, comfy leather chairs and began too reflect on what I had experienced thus far. It had been an amazing day, and little did I know that it was about to get even more amazing. At 1 p.m., I called into April Liesel's great Pro-Sarah Radio Show. As a regular guest on April's show and a contributor to her website, I always enjoy going on live with her. She is phenomenal Sarah supporter and great friend; she refers to me as her little sister, and in my book, she is definitely my big sister. Prior to leaving for my trip, I had planned ahead and threw in two cell phones because you never now what could happen. After all, I told you all I was always prepared, right? As I spoke with April about what I had experienced so far, I kept scanning through my blackberry, getting updates and keeping informed as two what was happening news wise. After I was April's hour-long radio show (you can catch it here Monday-Friday from 1-2 p.m. PST), we decided we would head back over to the Costco at around 3:30. That way, I could get up to speed on the crowd size and feel the excitement that would surely be in the air. Since we had an hour and a half until we were going to head back, Emily asked if I wanted to look around at the stores around Starbucks. I thought that was a great idea because I always up for checking out cute boutiques. We bundled back up and headed out.

First we went inside a cute card and knickknack shop, which as soon as we entered realized was a liberal, environmentalist activist shop. Being the oh-so-objective journalist I am, I decided to look around. There were a lot of unique items that caught my eye. Everything from a Nevada license plate purse (yes, I'm so serious) to various bottle cap magnets. I saw that they had the Democrat donkey magnet, but not the Republican elephant, which definitely shocked me... not. Oh well, that's their loss because, had they had the elephant version, this Conservative Girl with a Voice would have snatched that cutie pie up. Next, we went to the coolest boutique next door. As soon as Emily and I stepped our feet in the door, we knew we were in trouble. As a California girl, there is just something about boutiques that always get me excited. I think it's because boutiques always carry selected amounts of unique items, so you don't have to worry that your next-door neighbor is going to step out in the same outfit. I will never forget back in high school when a friend and I showed up to school in the same sweater on the same day. Let's just say that whenever we were planning to wear that sweater, we would check to make sure the other would not be wearing it that day. As we looked around the boutique, I feasted my eyes on the cutest pairs of knee-high Ugg-inspired boots in chocolate brown and another pair in a patchwork design. As I told the owner my size, she overheard that I was from San Diego, and we started talking. Turns out, her daughter graduated from San Diego State University around the same time I did; what a small world. I asked for her daughter's name, thinking maybe I may have known her. Although I did not know her daughter, it turns out her daughter belonged to the same sorority that a lot of my friends belonged to, so we started talking about the greek system. I remember her asking me why I was in Reno, and I told her that I was there covering Sarah's book signing. Turns out, she was a liberal, but she was a very nice liberal; yes, I know a lot of those. Many of my friends are liberal, and I always make the joke that while I'm on course, they're just derailed.

As I was trying on the super-cute boots, my phone began to ring. I didn't know who was calling me, but I immediately realized that it was from an Alaska area code. I let it go to voicemail because I had one hand on the phone and the other hand working one of the boots over my jeans and two layers of long johns. After I tried on the boots, which fit like a glove and bought them, I checked my voicemail. It turns out that my favorite liberal Rishi Maharaj, Eddie Burke's producer and the awesome guy who sent me the exclusive Elmendorf signing photos last night, had left a message for me to call him back as soon as I got his message. Instead of braving the cold outside, the store owner told me to take a seat and make any calls I needed to. I thanked her and called Rish back. When I called Rishi back, he told me the show was moving my scheduled interview from 4:30 PST to 5:20 PST, and if that was okay for me. I told him that worked great. Sarah's book signing was scheduled to begin at 5:30, so I told him how great it would be to be on air as I described the anticipation and excitement of the crowd. If all went on schedule, I would be on air before and right when Sarah began her book signing. Rishi also told me that Eddie had just got off the phone with Todd, and the whole family would meet with me; I was beyond excited and overjoyed at the fact that I would definitely be able to speak with them. Rishi told me to let Eddie know when I had arrived back at the Costco. I kept thinking to myself how memorable this experience had been and about how many memories were still in store for me.


I could hear Eddie in the background relaying messages to Rishi to tell me, and I remember laughing so hard because it is always so funny to hear these two guys interact. I remember Rishi asking me what I was doing, and when I told him Emily and I were shopping, he let out a laugh and said something to the effect of "Oh, I should have known." "Ha, ha, Rishi... very funny," I remember mumbling back into the receiver. In typical fashion, I told him I was helping the economy and about how great a capitalist I was. I knew this would get some kind of humorous response out of my liberal buddy, and it did. Perhaps the funniest part had to be when Rishi told Eddie I was shopping, and Eddie asked Rishi to ask me if I had a Louis Vuitton purse, to which I replied, "Yeah, as a matter of fact, I have it right here with me. Do you want me to send you guys a picture?" I was totally joking, but both Rishi and Eddie wanted a picture, so later Emily and I had her dad pose for a photo with my "Speedy" purse back at Starbucks, which turned out to be so funny.

When Emily and I returned to Starbucks, I knew 3:30 was quickly approaching, so Emily and I decided we wanted to look our best when we met the Palins and Heaths. We went out to the Hummer and changed. I didn't care how cold it was; all I knew was that I was not going to meet these individuals with all these layers of clothing on. I also had what I refer to as "hat hair" from wearing my KBYR beanie all day, so in true girl fashion, I got my flat iron out of one of my suitcases and headed back into Starbucks and right into the bathroom crossing my fingers that they would have an electrical outlet inside. I started to freak out a little when I didn't see one, but just when I was about to lose all hope, I saw that there was one underneath the paper towel dispenser. I let a small "yay" and plugged that baby in. A few minutes later, my hair was back to its naturally neat self. I was NOT going to have a bad hair day even if it was in the single digits outside. I touched up my makeup too, so happy that no one had knocked down the bathroom door yet. After I finished primping, I tucked my flat iron back into my purse and exited the bathroom. Sure enough, no one was waiting to use the bathroom because if there had been a line, I'm sure Starbucks would have kicked me out for taking over their bathroom and calling it my own. I know a lot of you are like, "She did her hair and makeup in a Starbucks bathroom?" Yes, and I'd do it again in an instant; I definitely recommend it.

As we got into the Hummer and Emily's dad began to drive out of the parking lot, I knew I was about to experience the event of a lifetime. While I have experienced so many great events in my life, I knew that none of them (even getting picked to appear on Wheel of Fortune) would compare to meeting my role model and her family. When we entered the Costco parking lot, I could see that the store was bustling with people. I immediately texted Eddie to let him know that I had entered the parking lot and that I would let him know when I entered the store. When I got to the door, I could see that a huge line had already formed, and it wasn't even 4 p.m. yet. When it was our turn to show the employees our tickets, book receipts and books, I told the employee who I was and that I was with #1 Alaska Talk Radio Host Eddie Burke's show and that Eddie had talked to Todd Palin and that I would have the opportunity to meet with the Palins and Heaths. The employee told me to hang on a second while she went over to someone who was working with Sarah. I overheard them say that Sarah was already there and waiting upstairs. The gentleman whom the employee had been talking to came over to me and told me to hang on a minute while he went upstairs to speak with Todd. About ten minutes later, the man came back and told me to follow him. I immediately followed him with Emily and her dad not too far behind me. I was told I would be waiting to meet with Sarah and the rest of the family in the roped off VIP Area. I was so stoked. How cool that I had been able to have this awesome experience, let alone be considered a VIP- WOW! I had overheard that the governor of Nevada was a VIP along with friends of friends and family of family. I was in awe of it all. As I passed all the individuals in line, many of whom I had spoken with earlier, I was so excited because I knew I was so close to meeting the "Cuda."

When we finally ended up in the sectioned off VIP area, the man whom we had followed back there, told us to wait until it was our turn to see Sarah. As we waited there, a little chaos ensued as I must have had two separate individuals immediately pounce on me asking me the "who, what, when, where, why?" questions. I patiently and articulately told each individual my story and that the "guy in the glasses" as I referred to him had brought us back here and told us to just wait until it was our turn. Finally, we were led around the corner to the "real" VIP area and told to just wait until we were called upon. I have to admit that I was in awe of whom I was about to meet, and my stomach was in knots. I knew we could not take pictures or use or phones when we saw Sarah. I also knew that we would have to remove our jackets and leave our purses and any other belongings outside of the signing area. I had my huge gift with me, so I was hoping that Sarah and her family would be able to get them. I was a little worried because when I had entered Costco, one employee told me that my gift would go in a pile "around the corner with the others." By the time we were finally taken back to the real VIP area it was 4:40, I was worried that I would miss my call from Eddie's show for my interview. 4:50 came, then 5, then 5:18, and I was beginning to think that I may just miss my scheduled live hit. I was hoping to go live on Eddie's show because it was because of both he and Todd Palin that I was about to meet my role model. Just as I was thinking about all who had made this meeting with Sarah possible, I was told by one of her main guys who I later learned was the incredible Jason Recher that Sarah was ready to see us. We were the last VIPs that would be seeing Sarah at the Reno signing. "Here we go," I said out loud with a smile.

As if the story couldn't get any greater, it's about too. Right after I handed my purse to the Costco employee, I turned, and I heard him say, "Make sure you take off your jacket too." As I began to unzip it, Jason came over to me and said, "You don't have to take off your jacket. You go ahead and leave it on." "WOW," I thought. I said, "Thank you. Are you sure?" He said, "Absolutely. You're fine. You're a VIP, remember?" He was smiling. "Oh yeah," I thought. Still, I remember how all the other VIPs had to remove their coats, but I just shrugged it off thinking that I was just lucky I guess. I still had my gift in my hand, and I asked Jason if he needed to take it from me since I knew we weren't allowed to bring in gifts, and I was completely full of glee when he told me that I would be giving it to Sarah personally. I tell you, readers, that I almost broke down into tears right then and there. Jason and the others who work closely with Sarah are all awesome people that's for sure. I was especially thankful for this because I had something else very special inside that gift bag. Jackie Seal had asked me if she could email me a letter to give to Sarah for her. Jackie's name may be familiar to many of you. She is the 17-year-old girl who was accosted by MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell. When she heard that I would be traveling to Reno, she told me she had a letter for Sarah that she had planned to give Sarah at the Michigan signing, but gifts were not allowed. I could not wait to tell her that Sarah would DEFINITELY be getting her letter. This was truly going to be a moment that I would never forget. I took a deep breath and began the short trek to the signing table.

As I followed Jason, I noticed that they had put the barrier back up in front of the people in line, which meant one thing: Dan, Emily and I would be seeing Sarah, Todd, Chuck, Sally and Aunt Katie all by ourselves. Just when I thought it could not get any better, I saw Todd look directly at me and recognize me. "OH MY GOSH," I thought; did Todd really just recognize me? I thought it was so cool that Todd akknowledged me before I had even looked up to see him sitting there. After kind of looking behind me thinking that Todd had to have had a friend he really was smiling and nodding too, I realized he REALLY WAS looking at me. (I later learned Eddie had told him what I looked like and about the jacket I would be wearing.) I immediately became a giddy school girl and put a HUGE smile on my face and waved like crazy, and that is when I saw Sarah. As someone who loves fashion and respects women who know how to "work it," Sarah was definitely working it. She looked classy as ever in a fitted black suit jacket that had black crystal-like jewels all over it. I meant to ask her who designed her jacket, but totally forgot too because there was just so much going on. Right as I was about to approach the table, one of her security detail came over to me and asked what was in the gift bag. I told him my mom had embroidered the governor and her family some apparel. He asked it he could look through the bag for security reasons, and I told him he was more than welcome to. After he looked through the bag, carefully I might add, he apologized for having to do that. I told him not to apologize and that I was so glad that he and the other security members were there to look after Sarah and her family. Sarah's security detail did an excellent job in Reno and along the whole tour, and I am so thankful to them for keeping the Palin and Heath families safe.

When he told me that I was free to go, I made my way to the table. As soon as I saw Sarah, I immediately agreed with a lot of those who attended Sarah's signings: Sarah IS even more beautiful in person. It is obvious that she has an extreme outer beauty, but it is important to note that she has an inner beauty that just put me at ease. The butterflies and queasy stomach were suddenly gone. I felt so comfortable standing in front of a woman who inspires me to want to be more and to do more. Sarah IS the reason why I started this blog. Sarah IS the reason why I am politically active. Finally, Sarah IS the reason why I want to run for office one day and make a difference. When I finally got my chance to talk with her. I introduced myself and told her about my blog. As said this, I handed her the gift from my family. As she took it, she had a joy about her that I will never forget. She thanked me, and knew that I was with Eddie's show. She asked me how I liked going on Eddie's show, and I told her that I loved being a guest of his show, and about how much Eddie had done for me. Then, I told her that I was actually expected to be a guest on his show right after I talked with her. That is when Sarah said the coolest thing I ever. She said, "How cool is that? If he calls when you're here with us [meaning her and Todd], we'll take the phone and give him a shout-out." This is the Sarah so many of us have come to know and love. This is that Sarah that the McCain campaign did not want at the forefront. This is the Sarah her dad was talking about when he said, "Let Sarah be Sarah." Here, I thought that I would only have a 10 seconds with her, but I ended up getting to spend about five minutes with her and Todd. As we spoke about various things like hair and my upcoming trip to Alaska with Kristina Lazzaro, she spoke with me as if she had known me for years. This was simply a priceless gift that I will forever cherish.

After meeting Sarah, I moved on and got to formally meet Todd. He took my hand and shook it. Being the lovey-dovey person I am, I asked if I could give him a hug to which he said, "Sure come here." He gave me a hug and I thanked him for working out my meeting with Eddie earlier in the day. He told me he was glad to. After speaking to him a little bit, I remembered that I wanted to give Sarah a hug too, but one of her people told me I had to keep moving on as there were still 100s there who still had to meet her. I continued on and found myself standing in front of one of the coolest, most down-to-earth dads around. As I said hello, Chuck Heath took one of my hands in both of his and said, "Hi there. I'm Sarah's daddy." This introduction bought tears to my eyes. Before me, I saw a man who was so proud of his daughter. Chuck Heath IS the real deal. As I continued to talk to Chuck, I met Sally Heath, who has the kindest, peaceful way about her. She was the sweetest woman and reminded me a lot of my late grandmother. I told her about the gifts we had gotten for her and the rest of the family, and she took both of my hands and suddenly had tears in her eyes; she was overwhelmed. I remember her saying, "oh goody" and calling me "dear." I got to spend a little time chatting about life, Sarah, The 2012 Draft Sarah Committee and Eddie. I told them both that I was about to go on Eddie's show, and they both told me how much they loved him. I also met Aunt Katie who has the best sense of humor. She gave me a hug and thanked me for supporting Sarah. These people are genuine, good and honest people. They are people who have not been at all tainted by the left or those in the "me-first crowd" in Washington DC.

While still talking to Katie, I looked down at my phone to see that I, in fact, had a missed call from KBYR. I went back to tell Chuck and Sally that I would be on live with Eddie and if they wanted to come on to say anything, and they told me they would have loved to if they didn't have 100s of other supporters to meet. Sally told me to ask Katie because she loves to talk. I thought this was so cute because I could totally relate to Katie as my sister and family would say the same thing about me. I knew there was a reason why I loved Aunt Katie so much. I called the KBYR VIP Line back and Reagan, the producer who was in for Rish, told me to hang on a second as he put me right through to Eddie. As I was waiting, I told Katie that I would be going on live with Eddie and if she wanted to say hi. She laughed, and I think she was a little overwhelmed. She told me she'd love to, but wouldn't know what to say. Like Sarah, Todd, Chuck and Sally before her, Katie told me to make sure to tell Eddie "hi." As I said my goodbyes, I heard Eddie welcoming me to his show. As I spoke to Eddie, I was so overwhelmed and excited as I slowly darted in between people-talk about multitasking. I thanked Eddie and told him what the Palins and Heaths had told me tell him. I told him that this had been the greatest day of my whole life, and it was all because of him that I got to experience all that I did that day.

As Dan, Emily and I headed back to Folsum, we sat quietly and reflected on the great experience we had all just had. The next morning, I said goodbye to my Folsum friends and headed back to San Diego (after yet another plane delay...oh well it's the holidays). When I got back to San Diego, my brother met me with my favorite cup of Starbucks in hand. I don't think I had ever been so happy to see him as I knew that I had a great, strong guy to help me carry my luggage... wink, wink. I was so glad to be home to share this experience with my friends and family. As I told my family, they sat in awe. I know many of you have never had the opportunity to meet Sarah and her family, so I hope that my account allows you to see how great this family is. Whatever your politics, you have to agree that they are the most down-to-earth bunch of individuals you will ever be privileged to meet. They are truly REAL PEOPLE. I want to especially thank the amazing Eddie (follow him on Twitter here), Rishi (follow him on Twitter here) and Todd for allowing me this great opportunity. I don't think I can ever repay them for my experience. Make sure to listen to Eddie's show Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. PST. Click here to listen. Before meeting Sarah and family, I was already excited for my trip to Alaska at the end of May, and now I am more excited than ever. I have no doubt that it will be the trip of a lifetime. Who knows, maybe I will get to meet with the Palins and Heaths again.

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Exclusive Photos from Sarah Palin's Elmendorf Book Signing: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

As you all know, Sarah's book tour made its final two stops at Alaska's Elmendorf and Eielson Air Force Bases, and my buddy, Smart Radio a.m. 700 KBYR's Rishi Maharaj, was lucky enough to have the job of covering the Elmendorf signing. As he covered it, he took a lot of great photos that he was kind enough to forward me and that you will only see here. Rishi is not only the best producer, but a great American. Thank you so much, Rishi. (Make sure to follow him on Twitter here.) Readers, I hope you enjoy the following photos as much as I did:












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Meeting Sarah: Part Two- A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Okay, everybody, I'm back with you all and ready to continue my amazing account of my meeting Sarah Palin and her precious family. There is so much I would like to write about my experience, so I apologize, in advance, for the long length of this entry; there is just so much I have to say.


Part Two: My Excitement Grows:

The day before my scheduled flight to Sacramento, I was full of excitement- an excitement that only grew as the day progressed. This day was particularly crazy because a huge storm (huge from this San Diego girl's point of view) had drenched San Diego County. The freeways were backed up for miles, and for a large part of my commute home, I was traveling along in the single digits. Let's just put it this way, as a former softball player, I am usually a pretty tough cookie, but I had tears in my eyes as I drove up the driveway to my house; I don't think I had ever been so glad to be home.

When I settled down and recovered from the insane weather, I began to prepare for my trip the next day. I knew Reno was also getting this storm and reports were that the city had an unseasonably large amount of snowfall. I thought to myself, "Great. What's a San Diego girl going to do? I'm not used to temperatures below 50 degrees, let alone tons of snow." Luckily I have had the opportunity to visit the snow in our local mountains and stay at my family's cabin near Lake Tahoe, so I had some clothing and Ugg Boots to choose from in my closet.



When I knew I had the right kind of clothing, I immediately got into contact with my buddy Eddie Burke, who's Alaska's #1 Talk Radio Host, to get some much-needed advice about the cold. As an Alaskan, he KNOWS what cold is. He told me to just really layer up with as many form-fitting clothing items as I had, so I packed every pair of long johns and wool hiking socks that I had just in case I got wet. Let's just put it this way, when I had finished packing for my 2-day trip, I had a large duffel bag and a large suitcase packed to the brim. I also had two carry-ons. I know, I know, I over packed and always tend too, but you can never say that I don't travel prepared. That didn't stop my friends and family from giving me a hard time about all that I packed. I got the "You packed all of that for a two-day trip, honey? What are you going to do when you go to Alaska for two weeks?" line from my mom, and even my Twitter followers had fun at my expense. My favorite line came from Patrick who wanted to know if the Republican National Committee had packed the bags for my trip. Although I know that I may have brought just a tad too much, I'm sure my fellow fashionistas out there can relate.


Okay, enough about fashion, let's get back to business. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of getting to know Eddie Burke, he is an awesome individual. When I told him that I was planning to travel to Reno, I offered to cover the event for his show on a.m. 700 KBYR. He told me that would be great and gave me some important information. He also told me to wear my KBYR gear (I'll get to that in a minute), since I was a correspondent for his show for the day. In the process of discussing my trip with Eddie, he offered to call Chuck Heath to see if he and Sally would be in Reno, and if they were, if they would agree to meet with me. I was speechless when I heard this. I could not contain my excitement because I have such admiration and high regard for the Heath family. Chuck and Sally raised a daughter who inspires so many individuals. I knew that if everything worked out and I met with them, the first thing I would say would be "thank you." Chuck and Sally are blessings and inspirations in their own right.


I have to write that I have the greatest mom in the world; besides her being the greatest mom, she runs a small business as an embroiderer. When she learned that I would be covering the signing for Eddie's show, she got to work right away designing me some KBYR gear, including the most amazing jacket ever. (I think Eddie's jealous of it too-ha ha.) She also designed Emily and myself tracksuits, beanies and adorable Going Rogue Book Tour 2009 T-Shirts. Besides doing all this, she embroidered some items for the Palin/Heath family members who we knew would be there. Todd, Sarah, Piper and Trigg would get red Going Rogue Book Tour 2009 T-Shirts; Sally would get a Going Rouge Book Tour 2009 apron with her name embroidered on it, and Chuck would get a KBYR beanie, since I knew he was a fan of Eddie's show. The items looked great, so I folded them up and put them in one of my suitcases hoping that they would end up in the hands of the Palins and Heaths.


Finally, after a short plane delay at the San Diego Airport, my plane was off and headed toward the California State Capitol. As I was sitting on the plane, I sat back and listened to my Ipod while reading Going Rogue. Once in a while I would think about what God would have in store for me on this journey. I touched off of the ground having never personally met Sarah Palin, and I was confident I would touch back down a couple days later having met the woman who is a role model and inspires me. I was giddy with excitement and so thankful that I had been blessed with this amazing opportunity. What a difference a year makes. I fully agree with Sarah Palin when she told FNC's Greta Van Susteren that when the Lord opens a door, she is going to plow through it. Everything happens for a reason, and God is using me because I, like you, was created for a specific purpose.

After I got off the plane and had collected all of my many pieces of luggage, I was sure I was giving my fellow travelers quite the scene. I'm only 5'4 and struggling with my heavy luggage must have been quite comical. I didn't have my entourage of family members to help me this time. When my friend, Emily, picked me up, we went back to her mom's house to gather all of her stuff and headed over to her dad's. After we grabbed a quick bite in the cute city of Auburn, we were Reno bound and traveling in style in her dad's cool, cool, cool, cool Hummer.

When we got to the hotel, which was really a Comfort Inn, we were given a suite at no extra charge, a really nice gesture. Our room was on the top floor, facing the Costco, and I guarantee no one had ever asked for a room with a view of Costco before. If you all could have seen us as we wheeled all of our luggage (including lawn chairs) up to our suite on the luggage cart. I think we must have bumped into every wall in the building on the way to our suite. We tried to make the best of our situation by instilling a little humor, but we kept laughing so hard that I was sure some cranky hotel guests were going to come out of their rooms and complain. Let's just say that we were pretty lucky.

After we were settled, we could already see that there were about five people in line, five crazy people given that it was already -4 degrees outside. This just shows how dedicated and awesome Sarah's supporters are; I was amazed. We found out that many more people would begin showing up at around 3 a.m., so we decided that we would wake up at 2:30 and check out the scene. Before we went to bed, we got everything ready the following day. I wrapped up the gifts, laid my clothes out and decided to take a shower, but little did I know that when I turned on the shower head, which unbeknownst to me was turned to most powerful position, it literally sprayed out all over the bathroom. Let's just say I'm glad the maids left us a lot of towels to clean up the flood. I silently said to myself, "Come on, did a liberal know that Sarah supporters would be staying in this room?"

When 2:30 rolled around, Emily and I were lucky enough to have the view of Costco from bed, so we just sat up and checked out the scene. How cool is that? There were still the same 5 or so people in line, so Emily set her cell alarm to 3:30, then 4:30, then finally 5:15 because every time we awoke there were less than a dozen people in line. When 5:15 rolled around, we both got up and started to get ready for what would turn out to be a very memorable day. As Emily got ready, I curled my hair because this fashionista wanted to look nice when she met the governor and her family. Although it was very cold, this wasn't going to keep Emily and I from looking our best; were Cali girls after all. When it came time to get dressed, usually would just throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, but not today. I ended up wearing two, yes two pairs of long johns under my jeans (One pair happened to be one of my favorite brands, Juicy Couture. (See, I told you I came fashionably prepared.) Under my KBYR jacket, I wore a sweatshirt and a long-sleeved tee under my Going Rogue t-shirt. For shoes, I went with a cute pair of knee-high, olive-colored Ugg boots that laced up. Emily was equally bundled up. We grabbed our mittens, hats and scarfs and headed down to the first floor.

We ate breakfast before heading out into the ice-cold, snow-filled Biggest Little City in the World. As soon as we stepped out into the cold, we looked at each other with the "I don't know about all of this" look, but we continued on because we knew our prize would definitely be worth it. After almost slipping about a dozen times, we ended up at Costco, thinking that the Costco looked a lot closer from our hotel room. With our lawn chairs on our backs. We must have looked really silly to some folks. One old guy even asked us if we were going hiking. Huh? Emily and I still don't get that one.


When we finally got over to Costco (at a little after 7:30), which seemed to take as long as it does for me to walk from the car into church when I wear a cute pair of sky-high heels, we saw that there had to be around 50 people in line, which wasn't bad at all. I finally realized that there weren't that many people in line because Costco had already begun the process of handing out wristbands, which in our case were little red tickets. While in line, a local Reno radio guy saw my KBYR jacket and asked if I'd come on their show. I was literally on for about a minute before my part of the line was allowed to enter the store. After the long process of showing our book receipts and such, we were told that we could either stay in line at the store all day in a roped off area, or come back later, but if we decided to come back, we would have to get in line again. Emily and I looked at each other and then to the line forming inside the store and chose the latter option. We knew the ticket pretty much guaranteed that we would get to see Sarah, so we decided to relax and enjoy some of the day around the city of Reno.


At that point, Emily's dad joined us. We checked out of the hotel and returned to Costco just to see what was going on. When we got there, we immediately snuck behind the area where Sarah would be holding her signing later that day and shot a few pictures, since security was not guarding it at the moment (I had too; my inner journalist came out- wink, wink). Emily's dad, Dan, is so cool. If there was a degree for multitasking, he would hold a doctorate. He owns his own marketing business, so he was in the middle of closing a deal, but like the great dad he is, he took the time to travel with his daughter and her friend to meet our hero. He even killed two birds with one stone while at Costco. He told Emily to go with me as I interviewed various individuals in line so that he could do a little Christmas shopping. Cool, huh? In between trying all the yummy samples (because no stop to Costco is complete without the samples), my little "intern," Emily, and I conducted interviews. Having studied journalism in college, I always love the thrill I get when I conduct interviews; it's so fun to be able to just talk to people from all walks of life. I told a lot of people about the 2012 Draft Sarah Committee of which I am the San Diego Regional Organizer, and I also told many about my blog. While talking to those in line, I was struck with how much these individuals loved and admired Sarah and her family. One man (fourth in line) even told me he'd wait four days in the cold if that's what it would take just for the chance to meet her. The first individual in line had gotten there at 7:30 the night before; talk about dedication.


After our shopping trip at Costco, we decided to go to the Starbucks down the street. Funny thing is the Costco employee made it sound as though it was a walking distance "right up the street" when it literally took about five minutes to drive there. That's okay though, the snow was beautiful to watch as we drove by. That is the one thing I miss about being in San Diego. While I love the sun and beach, I sometimes yearn to wake up to a winter wonderland. When we finally arrived at Starbucks, we hurried inside and grabbed a coffee. (Usually, I would get a Peppermint Mocha Frappachino, but, To-To, we weren't in San Diego anymore.) After getting our coffee, we all sat down and began to thaw out. I had a radio interview scheduled for 1:00 PST, so I had a little time to prepare for that.

This is where I end my amazing adventure, for now... stay tuned because the entry you all have been waiting for is coming up next!!!

(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice and become a follower. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Going Rogue: USA Today's #1 for Week #3

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin's Going Rogue is #1 on the USA Today Bestsellers List for the third consecutive week.

The Governor is headed home to Alaska after an incredible book tour here in the Lower 48, but Going Rogue indeed is still going strong. She continues her tour on Sunday with stops at Elmendorf and Eielson Air Force Bases in her home state.

Sarah Palin comes "home" to Minnesota

Going Rogue by the numbers (source: Mall of America):

2500: Number of copies of Going Rogue signed by Sarah Palin at her Barnes & Noble Mall of America appearance on December 7. The previous mall record for books signed was held by Twilight author Stephanie Meyer (850 books).

1700: Approximate number of persons who came to Mall of America to see Sarah Palin

4: Number of hours that Palin signed books on December 7

2: Number of international press covering the event (Der Spiegel and Al Jazeera)

1: Palin event ranking for the number of media organizations covering a Mall of America event in the mall's seventeen-year history

1: Current rank of Going Rogue on the New York Times Best Sellers list for hardcover nonfiction

0: Number of tomatoes thrown at Sarah Palin that actually hit her


It was Fred Barnes from the Weekly Standard who first introduced me to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin back in July 2007, in his column "The Most Popular Governor:"

The wipeout in the 2006 election left Republicans in such a state of dejection that they've overlooked the one shining victory in which a Republican star was born. The triumph came in Alaska where Sarah Palin, a politician of eye-popping integrity, was elected governor. She is now the most popular governor in America, with an approval rating in the 90s, and probably the most popular public official in any state.

Her rise is a great (and rare) story of how adherence to principle--especially to transparency and accountability in government--can produce political success.

I became an immediate fan of Palin, read occasional articles about her, and enjoyed passing through her Mat-Su Valley hometown of Wasilla on vacation in July 2008. Imagine my thrill after attending a local Republican fundraiser, the night Barack Obama accepted the Democrat nomination for President — as we heard through the grapevine that network news helicopters, broadcast satellite trucks, and other media had encircled the home of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty — that John McCain had chosen Governor Palin as his running mate.

The rest is history, including Palin's dazzling acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul in September of 2008 (in Palin's book, a photo of the convention floor at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy Center is misidentified as being in Minneapolis), and the disappointing defeat of the McCain-Palin ticket in November.

It is fitting that Governor Palin returns to the Twin Cities, to a place called Mall of America. A shopping mall is, after all, a shrine to free enterprise and consumerism, a reflection of the highest standard of living in the history of the world. MOA is really big, like Alaska. And "An American Story" is what Palin is all about.

The gov we love alluded to her Minnesota connections in these Twitter posts sent from her Blackberry on December 7:

In Minnesota,event @ Mall of America,look frwrd 2 seeing Alaska friends' relatives here (a lot of MN transplants in AK!);lot in common w MN

Privileged 2 now meet w MN folks w families n Alaska;1 realizes how intimate r nation is as we travel&hear of connections all Americans have

Palin's book and national tour are laying a strong and wide foundation of trust, loyalty, and affection for the governor and her family, amongst the hoi polloi in the small towns of America she claimed as her own in that acceptance speech last year:

A writer observed: "We grow good people in our small towns, with honesty, sincerity, and dignity." I know just the kind of people that writer had in mind when he praised Harry Truman.

I grew up with those people.

They are the ones who do some of the hardest work in America, who grow our food, run our factories and fight our wars.

They love their country, in good times and bad, and they're always proud of America.

Rochester Going Rogue Egg-Man Tells His Story

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Yesterday a man attempted to hit Governor Palin with tomatoes at her book signing at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. He missed by a mile, hitting a police officer instead, which got him arrested. Read the story here.

Though some have made jokes of the incident, I don't find it funny at all. This wasn't the first time during the Going Rogue book tour that some coward has attempted to show his aversion for the Governor by firing some food item at her.

Upon my return from the Rochester book signing, I shared my account of how a man entered Borders shortly after she left, voiced disappointment that he had arrived too late, and then hurled eggs at a display of her books. The yolk splattered on me, and the Egg-Man was then apprehended by the police. Read that blog post and see the pictures here.

Egg-Thrower, who had stated that he let his emotions take over, apologized several times for splattering me with eggs and offered to pay my cleaning bill. Clearly, he was not sorry for the real offense: his intent to allow his insane hatred to cause the Governor embarrassment, if not actual harm. This is obvious by the article he wrote, which was published in The Buffalo Beast.

I park behind an Uno’s Pizza joint and make my way on foot. Hmm… no deluded zealots, and no patchouli-soaked hippies. Am I too late? I march past the door. The place is a wretched mess. Many people are milling about, but it seems like the end. There’s a news van outside and a woman appears to be giving an interview. I ask a clerk what happened here. “Sarah Palin” was her response. I ask if she’s gone. “Yes.” I’m only minutes late. My hand goes for the egg in my pocket. “I’m sorry I missed her,” I say. In one motion, the egg is out and I’m pitching it full force at a pyramid of Palin books. In slow motion I see the oblong, white missile fly true towards its mark. The egg loudly smashes into Palin’s grinning, idiot face, and chicken menses splatters the entire pyramid.

[...]

Next, a small herd of people gather around me. A black woman, whom I thought to be a reporter when I saw her in Borders, is front and center. Maybe she’ll take my story and turn this sad and ridiculous fiasco into something worthwhile. Wrong. Each of the crowd is holding Palin books, including my imagined African American savior. They are pissed Palin pals, and apparently, I’d gotten them with egg. The woman complains that she was up since 3 am for Sarah, and now she has to change her clothes. I receive multiple dirty looks and lectures. I graciously offer to pay their dry cleaning bills, but they represent the Party of No and predictably rebuff my generosity. I give them my reasons, and they warn me not to believe the “lame media” conspiracy against Sarah. To them, any facts are mere fabrications of a media conspiracy. We are no longer able to reason together, as they’ve discarded rational thought as a trapping of liberalism. I’m lucky Sarah’s not here, they vaguely threaten. I imagine a helicopter swooping out of the sky and a crazed, grinning Palin blasting me with a high-powered rifle, like so much helpless endangered wildlife.

You can read the rest of the article here, but be prepared to be annoyed if you expect to find even a hint of remorse in his words. In spite of damaging over $800.00 worth of books, "I still don't care," he wrote. And why should he? According to him, he received a huge discount from the store and was smiling and yapping it up with Borders employees and Rochester police officers. Yeah, that ought to teach him!

I still cannot figure out how it is that conservatives are coined as hateful, intolerant souls when it seems that Liberals are the ones who go on the attack whenever someone doesn't agree with them and won't sit down and shut up. I've said a million times that nobody has to agree with anybody; that's life. If a person doesn't like Governor Palin, he is entitled to that. But when that dislike turns into entering a public place and trying to assault her, it's crossed way over the line.

I chose not to bring charges against the man in Rochester, but I'm glad this Minnesota character was thrown--at least temporarily--in the slammer. A loud and clear message needs to be sent to miscreants who feel they have a right to take pot-shots at her--or anyone else.

Do these incidents embolden others? First eggs, now tomatoes. No, not funny.


Following the incident, the Governor tweeted the following (emphasis added):

Finishing up great MN event w great Americans who r geared up 4 Christmas;as w everywhere we traveled, staff&security have been outstanding

(H/T Ron - http://sarahs-accomplishments.blogspot.com)

Sarah Palin in Iowa Brings Out 2012 Speculation

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Governor Sarah Palin stopped in Sioux City on Sunday as part of the book signing tour for her new book, Going Rogue: An American Life.  I had hoped to be there, but alas I was not one of the 625 who had books signed and able to shake her hand.  As always any stop in Iowa brings about 2012 speculation.  Carl Cameron of Fox News reported live:

Now when politicans come to Iowa, I've been guilty of jumping on the "oh they are definitely running" bandwagon. So I'm not faulting speculation (though has any other tour stop brought out national networks and even international attention?).  I’ve said that while I hope she runs I have no idea of whether she will run.  She has certainly been influential and effective in promoting common sense conservatism without a title.

Though that hasn’t stopped people from taking swipes at a potential Palin candidacy.  In an AP article Eric Woolson was quoted:

But some questioned whether Palin could turn her star appeal into votes in a state where face-to-face campaigning has usually played an important role.

Republican strategist Eric Woolson worked for Democrats early in his career, and he saw some comparisons to the campaign of former Sen. John Glenn. The former astronaut drew huge and admiring crowds when he ran for president in 1984 but that didn't translate into votes.

"They went to see John Glenn the astronaut, not John Glenn the Democratic candidate for president," Woolson said. "A tremendous amount of her appeal is as Sarah Palin the celebrity, as opposed to Sarah Palin the potential 2012 nominee."

Just some background on Eric Woolson, he’s currently working for Bob Vander Plaats Gubernatorial campaign.  He also worked for Mike Huckabee’s campaign in 2008.  Maybe he’s just jealous that Huckabee didn’t have near the turnout for his book signing in West Des Moines.

Steve Scheffler, head of the Iowa Christian Alliance and the Iowa National Committeeman on the Republican National Committee in the article said:

…many people were attracted to Palin because "they like Republican leaders who call a spade a spade."

But, he said, the former Alaska governor still has a lot to prove.

"Her biggest challenge will be to convince people she's got the depth to be a successful president," he said. "In the perilous times we live in, people are going to want to know if she's up to snuff."

I agree with Scheffler in his assessment why people are attracted to Palin, but I think what he said about her having a lot to prove could be said about a good number of potential candidate, including Mitt Romney, who was also only a one-term governor, and not a very effective one at that (RomneyCare, governing as a liberal).

Listening to Jan Mickelson on WHO Radio this morning people who called in were saying.  She “represents our values,” “she’s trustworthy,” and “I think she’d straighten out the party, Congress” (though has there ever been a President able to do that).  So Woolson’s claim that it’s just celebrity appeal is unfounded.

Then there’s it’s Iowa of course she’s running mantra ala Tim Albrecht (former Romney staff, now working for Branstad Gubernatorial campaign) in the same AP article.

"No politician comes to Iowa by accident," Republican strategist Tim Albrecht said. "Every politician knows the implications when they set foot here."

Wonder what he would have said if she didn’t come to Iowa?  Oh boy!  Or if she planned two stops?  And it isn’t even 2010 yet.

Update: Kevin Hall, the Des Moines Conservative, declares Sarah Palin the frontrunner for the nomination. We'll see if future polls will back that up, but right now if she decides to run she'll be in good shape. (HT: Josh Painter)

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves connecting to fellow Rogues, so please feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

I Receive Email From Going Rogue Book Tour

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Governor Palin's Going Rogue book tour has been in full swing for almost three weeks, which means that multiple thousands of people have now had the experience of meeting the Governor in person and receiving their own impression of her. I have heard the accounts of many people who came to understand for themselves what others have tried to tell them, what I have tried to tell them about the experience.

Just a few minutes ago, I received a rather touching email from Marie who attempts to put into words for me her encounter with Governor Palin at the Springfield, MO book signing. In it she says she should have paid better attention, not to what I have written about the Governor, but to what I have not ever been able to put into words.

With Marie's permission, I have included the email below:

I need you to slap my hand, Adrienne! I have thought about you so much over the last 6 days or so!

I went to Springfield, MO to see Sarah and to "let" her help me celebrate my 60th birthday. I thought all the way up there (it took me about 9 hours to drive a 7 1/2 trip because I have to stop so often) and how excited you must have been to see her again. This was my first time, and I'm thankful that my plans worked out so very well.

I thought about you when I shook Sarah's hand, and she smiled at me. I could feel her sweet spirit in just touching her hand! That's what made me think of you! Then when I left the signing area and was greeted by Mr. Heath, then Mrs. Heath, then Aunt Kate, I thought about you again. What dear sweet people they are. You had told me they were (in all your writing) but I saw it for myself.

As I drove out of the book store parking lot that morning, totally happy and almost literally floating on air, I told myself to be sure to remember to tell you about it when I got back. Since I've been home, the only time I think about telling you is after I turn my computer off for the night to go to bed. (Otherwise, I'm writing to defend Sarah against Mr. Jim Brown, Campbell Brown's papa)

So I'm thinking about it now, and I want you to know how much the things you have written about Sarah and the Heaths came back to me as I met them for myself. Thank you for doing your best to prepare me. What a shame it didn't prepare me for the reality! I should have paid more attention to what you didn't say, huh?

Thanks for trying...
Marie

Read how Sarah Palin keeps speaking out for the American people - and how many people keep trying to silence her message.

http://marieacole.wordpress.com/

Thank you, Marie, for taking the time to share your experience. Those who have had the same opportunity know exactly what you mean.

Sarah's Return to Idaho: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Next Thursday, December 10th, Sarah and her oh-so-cool Going Rogue Tour bus will be making a stop in Sanpoint, Idaho. While this is just one stop of many, it will be particulary symbolic to Sarah because she was born in Sandpoint. Her parents, Chuck and Sally lived there before moving the family to Alaska when Sarah was just a newborn. I can only imagine how great it will be for Sarah and her family to return to a place that holds a special place in their hearts. Although Sarah only lived there for a short time, I guarantee Chuck and Sally brought her and her siblings up with the memories they had of Sandpoint. Idaho, in particular, is special to Sarah because she spent some of her college years there, graduating from the University of Idaho in 1987.


What I have found so amazing about Sarah is how she has chosen to spend her book tour by visiting cities that are the heart and soul of America. While others may choose big, glitzy cities to travel (which is fine too) to for a book signing stop, Sarah did what she does best. By thinking outside the box and visiting the smaller cities and towns across America, it is as if she has given those cities a voice. It is almost as if she has put those cities on the map. While most of the cities on her book tour are easily recognizable, it is the smaller, more unfamiliar cities like Sandpoint, for example, that are getting attention and perhaps some tourism as well. Cool, huh?


Many famous people seem to forget where they come from when they become well-known individuals, but not Sarah. Her love for Alaska and the fact that she is returning to her place of birth illustrate just how down-to-earth and real an individual Sarah is. It is clear that she has NOT forgotten where she has come from. God bless Chuck and Sally for teaching their children the importance of God, family and community.


I want to close by including the following article written by Keith Kinnaird, the news editor for the Sandpoint Bonner County Daily Bee, which gives more information on the scheduled book-signing event:



Palin Book Tour Coming to Town
Posted: Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009 - 10:06:28 am PST


SANDPOINT — Former GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor Sarah Palin is scheduled to make a stop in Sandpoint this month to promote her autobiography.
The book-signing event is planned for Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Sandpoint Business & Events Center. It lasts from 6-9 p.m.

Palin’s plans were confirmed Tuesday through Lynda Scott, who owns the events center with her husband, Brad.

“The date and time is set,” said events center Manager Kathy Andruzak.

The event is being sponsored by Vanderford’s Books in Sandpoint.

“It just kind of blossomed,” Tom Vanderford said of efforts to include Sandpoint on the book tour.

The event will be a homecoming of sorts.

Palin’s parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, lived in Sandpoint when she was born in 1964. She lived here briefly before the family relocated to Alaska.

“From what I understand, Sarah herself wanted to come to Sandpoint because she was born here. She was the one who requested it,” Vanderford said.

Moreover, Chuck Heath used to teach school at the events center, which used to be the local middle school.

“He was teaching natural science,” said Heath’s childhood friend, Kermit Kiebert. “He was a good teacher I might add.”

Palin is on tour promoting “Going Rogue: An American Life,” a New York Times best seller. The book chronicles Palin’s 2008 run for vice president, the election fallout and the role of faith in her life.

Vanderford said sales of “Going Rogue” have been swift since it hit bookshelves last month.

“We’ve sold out of it several times,” said Vanderford. “We have 2,000 books coming in the next few days and we probably have about 50 or 60 in the store right now.”

Only books purchased at Vanderford’s will be eligible for signing. Vanderford said customers’ cash register receipts will serve as proof of purchase, although there are plans to have some copies of the book available for purchase at the event.

The Sandpoint stop coincides with with a book signing at the Fred Meyer store in Coeur d’Alene earlier the same day.

Although the Republican presidential ticket did not carry the nation during last year’s general election, it did extremely well in Idaho and Bonner County.

John McCain and Palin won 61 percent of the vote in Idaho, compared to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden, who garnered 36 percent, according to Idaho Secretary of State records.

In Bonner County, the McCain-Palin ticket won 11,145 votes and prevailed in 28 of the county’s 34 voting precincts. Obama and Biden collected only 7,840 votes and carried just six precincts, Bonner County Clerk records indicate.

NOTE: ALTHOUGH THE ABOVE PHOTO OF SARAH WAS TAKEN WHEN SHE WAS A TODDLER AND LIVING IN ALASKA, I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS TOO CUTE TO PASS UP, SO I HAD TO INCLUDE IT IN THIS POST.

(Click here to visit my blog Conservative Girl with a Voice. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

When Sarah Roars, the Left Goes Wild: A Post by Conservative Girl with a Voice

Sarah Palin is more popular than ever, but you didn't need me to tell you that. With her book tour in full swing and people lining up for hours and hours just to get the chance to shake her hand and get their copies of Going Rogue signed by the author herself, there is no denying that Sarah is a rock star. Her book skyrocketed to the top of the New York Times Best-Seller List and remains at number one in the hard-cover, non-fiction category. According to Newsmax:

"Palin's book replaces the previous week's top seller, tennis champion Andre Agassi's autobiography Open. Going Rogue reportedly sold 700,000 copies in the first week after its release. The book came out on Nov. 17 with a first printing of 1.5 million copies, and three days later publisher Harper Collins announced that the printing would be increased to 2.5 million. Few nonfiction books have debuted so well. In 2004, Bill Clinton's My Life sold more than 900,000 copies in its first week."


I find it kind of ironic that Sarah's memoir is at the top of this newspaper's list, a newspaper that spread and continues to spread false information and libelous news about Sarah and her family. In a way, Sarah seems to have the last laugh, if not the last word in the matter. Her book proves how hot a commodity she is to the world of politics. While the New York Times continues to see their readership numbers rapidly decline, Sarah's poll numbers continue to increase. My good friend Lisa Graas, editor and chief of the Palin Twibe, recently wrote about Sarah's ever-growing popularity. You can read it here. The Washington Post poll, taken from November 21-23, projected Sarah the clear winner among possible 2012 presidential candidates. Sarah is also the individual who those polled felt best reflected the core values of the Republican Party. Go, Sarah, go!!!


The media fear her, the liberal left fear her, heck even Martha Stewart fears her, although she likened her to "dangerous," as I wrote about recently. With these poll results as well as the adorning fans lining up across the country, there is great cause for why the individuals above should fear. Sarah has become the queen of social media as she has managed to get the word out on serious issues in a way that can only be described as pure genius. It is clear that she is here to stay, and no leftist hack, media loon or dishonest Levi Johnston are going to be able to stop the "Cuda." Sarah is a definite force to be reckoned with, but you already know this. You already know Sarah is an honest woman of extreme integrity. While she values the Republican Party, she is a conservative who continues to break the mold and choose values over party. I have repeatedly written about this very issue. As you all are well aware, the fact that Sarah is not afraid to stand up and speak out are two traits that endear her to people. Sarah speaks to you, not over you. While I have never personally met her, I have heard from many who have, about just how kind and personable she is in real life. Sarah makes the point of recognizing and enjoying the little things, which is clearly evident in her book. I was talking to a friend the other day, and we were talking about how when we read Sarah's book, it is as if she is reading her memoir to us. Those who say that it isn't possible for Sarah to have actually written her book clearly haven't read it. I'm only 150 pages in, but it is clear Sarah DID write her book. I'm not going to ruin it for you and give the plot of the book away, but I will mention that Going Rogue is a tear jerker. You can tell how much Sarah loves and cares for Alaska and America. This is clear as you read each and every page. The way in which she is able to relate to average-day "Mainstreet U.S.A." folks is so amazing. There is no one in the modern-day political spectrum who could do this. Sarah captivates America with every step she takes, and she will continue to do so. This is WHY the liberal left fear hear, the liberal media fear her, and Hollywood types fear her. In the end, what could be better than that? When you're feared across the country by those on the opposition for speaking the truth, you know your message is resonating across the country. So, Sarah, on behalf of "Mainstreet U.S.A." folks everywhere, continue to stand up, speak out and rock on!!!


(Click here to visit Conservative Girl with a Voice. Click here to follow me on Twitter.)

Pictures of Governor Palin at Red Cross Turkey Trot

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

On Thanksgiving Day, after a week-long grueling Going Rogue book tour schedule, no one would have faulted Governor Palin for hiding out or sleeping all day. In fact, some of us would have liked for her to do just that so she could just recuperate and build up some strength for the next leg of the tour, which begins Sunday in Richland, WA. The governor, however, participated yesterday morning in the Red Cross Turkey Trot in Washington, where she is spending the next few days with family.

Here are some pictures (H/T Kenton).

Governor Palin's Book Signing in Rochester, NY

by Kristina Lazzaro
Inspiration Sarah -- http://inspirationsarah.blogspot.com

As some of you know, I attended Sarah Palin's book signing in Rochester, New York on Saturday (11/21). Let me tell you--it was definitely an adventure!

I was still away at school when I found out that Sarah would be coming to New York for her Going Rogue Book Tour. I was very excited! I was even more excited that I would be home in Buffalo the day before Sarah visited Rochester because Rochester is only an hour away from my home. So knowing that I was going to have to get to Rochester the night before the signing, I left Cortland, NY (school) at 2pm on Friday (11/20), arrived home in Buffalo at 5:30pm, had dinner with the family, and then headed to Rochester with my sister Katelyn at around 1:30am Saturday morning. During the car ride down to Borders Books & Music in Henrietta, the three things that ran through my mind were 1) I had been in a car for most of the day 2) I would be awake for more than 48 hours and 3) I was going to be able to see my inspiration once again--Sarah Palin.

My sister and I arrived at Borders at 2:30am. I was shocked to see so many people lined up this early to see Sarah! So we quickly scoped out a parking spot, parked, and then headed to the back of the line where about 200 Sarah Supporters stood in front of us. Once we claimed our spot in line, my sister pulled out some blankets, I wiped out the pillows, and then we immediately walked to find some type of caffeine whether it was coffee or soda. The caffeine hunt didn't take long since there were plenty of places to purchase it--Wegmans, Tim Hortons, and Panera. So we got our large coffees and headed back to meet and greet the people who were camping out around us.

From 3am until it was time to head inside Borders, Katelyn and I bonded with the many people who surrounded us. Most of them were much older then the both of us (my sister 17 and me 20) but our ages were what stirred up a lot of conversation. People were impressed and thrilled to see young Sarah Palin supporters and several people asked why we supported her. Since my sister was still a new comer to politics and to what Sarah stood for and believed in, I took the lead when it came to telling people what I love about Sarah Palin and why I support her. I even did an interview with a local news station and later, while standing in line, I did another interview with a news reporter from my home town. After doing a bunch of talking and two interviews, my sister asked me, "aren't you tired of talking?" My answer to her was, no! Every chance I get to talk about Governor Palin, I feel honored and it's so easy to talk about her to others because I know and admire so much about her! So it's always a joy when speaking about Sarah Palin.

So the sun rose and 9am came around much quicker than I expected! Our over night crew made it into Borders and received wristbands. At this point, not only were we psyched that we all had been given a chance to see Sarah Palin; we were also thrilled that we had a few hours to rest and get something other than coffee in our stomachs!

11am rolled around and my sister and I decided that we were just going to hang out in Borders for a while. We met up with Ron Devito, the author of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's Accomplishments and VidSweet, who is another Sarah Supporter and makes video tributes for Palin and other political figures. The four of us planted ourselves at a table for several hours, reading "Going Rogue", checking email, and making phone calls to family and friends, letting them know that we were still alive! While sitting in Borders, I also met a member of Governor Palin's staff, Russell. Russell worked during the election for the McCain-Palin Campaign. As we were talking, we came to realize that we went to school together! What a small world!

We heard that Sarah Palin would be arriving earlier than expected, so the line began to form around 4pm instead of 4:30pm. My sister and I found the people we were with earlier Saturday morning and secured our spot in line. The crowed started yelling--Sarah, Sarah, Sarah...and then we all decided to sing the National Anthem. At around 6pm, a group of protesters showed up. I just laughed and wondered why they decided to show up now. Where were they at 3am!?! And the funny thing was that they were protesting Governor Palin's views on gay marriage, which are the same as Obama's! They were still there screaming and shouting but the large crowd of Sarah Supporters began to yell "Sarah Palin chants" again to over power them.

FINALLY, it was our turn to head inside. On top of the excitement of seeing Governor Palin again, I was so happy to be inside where it was cozy and warm! As we walked passed the Borders employees who checked our wristbands, I could see the table where Sarah Palin was sitting at, and as I walked a little further, I looked, and there she was! As others saw her, their hearts began to beat faster and they became much more nervous than they were when they were standing outside. This was not the case for me because I had met Sarah Palin before. Instead of becoming nervous, I got excited and the biggest smile grew on my face because I was so happy to see her again.

The line wrapped around shelves and shelves of books. When the line came to a halt, people took pictures to capture the moment. I was mesmerized by the music playing. It was country music and I knew right away that Governor Palin picked that music to play while she signed books!

While enjoying the great country music that was playing, my sister and I inched closer and closer to the book signing table. I stopped to take a picture with Adrienne, the author and editor of Motivation Truth and Jason Recher, a member of Sarah Palin's staff. Then it was our turn to see Governor Palin. I let my sister go before me because I wanted to see the happiness that formed in her eyes when she spoke with Sarah Palin, because that's what happens when you meet her. A feeling of such happiness and joy runs through your body when you first meet Governor Palin. She makes you feel so special and important. It's almost like your the only person who exists at that very moment. Governor Palin shook my sisters hand, asked her name, complimented on her shirt that said, "Going Rogue with Sarah!", she asked how old she was and what she planned to do after she graduates in June. My sister walked away from Sarah Palin with the biggest smile on her face. I had never seen her smile like that before!

Next was me. I walked up to Governor Palin and put my hand out to greet her. She shook my hand and told me she remembered meeting me in Auburn, NY! She asked how I was doing and from there the conversation grew. I choose not to share the words that were exchanged between Sarah Palin and I because what I shared with her was personal, but the short moment that we shared together will remain forever in my heart. One thing I will share with you is that before I walked away, Governor Palin thanked me for getting my sister into politics and for educating her about who Sarah really is. I was confused as to how she knew Katelyn and I were sisters. I later found out that my sister told Sarah Palin that I was the person who educated her about who Governor Palin really is. And as Katelyn said that, she pointed to me.

After speaking with the Governor, my sister and I had the privilege of staying in Borders to meet some of Sarah Palin's family. We spoke with one of Governor Palin's aunts who was also holding baby Trig at the time. I said hello to Trig and he grabbed my thumb and held it for a few seconds and then let go. Her aunt couldn't thank us enough for supporting Sarah! After speaking with Governor Palin's aunt, we spoke with her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath. They are probably two of the most kind, loving, and caring people I have ever met. First off, Mr Heath told me, "I absolutely love your sweatshirt!" Then Mr and Mrs Heath asked us about school, our family and why we supported their daughter. After we told them, they both gave us a warm hug and said thank you, thank you, thank you! And before they walked away, Mr and Mrs Heath came back and told us that it was nice to meet two beautiful, nice, and intelligent girls.

The day quickly came to an end and all the energy that had been running through our bodies all day long began to wear off. That's when we started to realize how tired and sore we were! We decided that getting a bit to eat and off our feet was wonderful idea!

So as Adrienne, Ron, VidSweet, Katelyn and I were about to leave Borders, a man walked straight through the main doors and said, "Sorry, I missed you, Sarah!" and threw an egg at the display of the Governor's books and left. None of us really knew how to react because we couldn't believe that something like this happened. Katelyn and Adrienne looked around to see where the egg had splattered while the rest of us glanced to see where this man went. Once we realized he was gone, I made sure everyone else was ok. I noticed that Adrienne had gotten some of the egg all over her clothes. So Adrienne went in the back to change while the rest of us tried to replay what had just happened in our heads. Ron had gone outside to see if he could spot the "egg-man" and when he came back inside, he informed us that the police had caught him.

When Adrienne came back from changing her clothes, I filled her in on the news that we had found out. Immediately, Adrienne walked outside to where the police was holding the egg-man. We followed because we wanted to hear his reason as to why he did what he did. So when Adrienne asked him what his deal was, he answered back saying that his intent was to hit Sarah with the egg, but he was too late! He also apologized for hitting Adrienne and wanted her address so that he could pay for dry cleaning. Don't worry--Adrienne didn't give the egg-man her address. As Adrienne said, "Don't even ask a dumb question. Y'all know I did not give that man my address!." This man was a complete nut case and the reason he wanted to egg Sarah arose from something that he watched on TV. So he let his emotions get to him and came to Borders with hopes of hurting the governor! How crazy is that!

I am blaming the media on this one! They have done everything in their power to make Sarah Palin seem like she's this horrible person, but the reality is that, these so-called journalists are the horrible people! Instead of reporting the facts, instead of reporting the truth, they are reporting all of these false rumors and lies, and these rumors and lies are what fill up many Americans heads! This needs to change!

Adrienne had the option of pressing charges, but it would have been so inconvenient since she would of had to stay later and fill out paper work and then come back for a court date (she lives four hours from Rochester). So the egg-man was left with the police and several copies of Sarah Palin's book, "Going Rogue". I thought since the egg-man would have to pay for over ten copies of Sarah's book, maybe he could read one of them and find out who Sarah Palin is unfiltered instead of through the media!

While talking over dinner, we all mentioned that the egg-man incident could have been much worse than it really was. This man could have walked into Borders with something much more dangerous than an egg! So we were very grateful! We were also very happy that Governor Palin had left before the egg-man arrived at Borders. If he had shown up while Sarah was still signing books, well, lets just say it would have been one big mess! So after the incident, I made sure I prayed, thanking God for keeping us, all the other Sarah Supporters, and most of all, Sarah Palin safe!

Katelyn and I headed home after dinner, or I guess you can say breakfast, since it was already 12am, on Sunday morning! On the ride home, I had to keep telling myself to stay awake, but once I started to go back over the past couple of days, keeping my eyes open wasn't a problem. This weekend was absolutely amazing and nothing could change that--not even the egg-man!

I met so many wonderful people who love and support Governor Palin like I do! I was able to see Sarah Palin once again. Getting to see and talk to Sarah is always an honor and I cannot wait to see her again--hopefully in Alaska! I am so glad to have met some of Sarah Palin's family. They are such kind and loving people and you can see how proud they are of Sarah and how thankful they are of all her supporters.

One of the best things that happened this weekend was seeing a side of my sister that I had never seen before. She opened up to so many people and listened to their life stories and why they loved Sarah Palin. This allowed her to open her heart and mind to the wonderful person Sarah Palin is. Katelyn read "Going Rogue" and cannot stop talking about how much she loved reading it. She now understands why so many Americans support Sarah Palin and she is now one of us Palinistas!

This weekend was a long weekend and a cold weekend. But all that time, waiting outside in the cold and surviving on coffee was worth the time we were given to spend with Governor Palin--my inspiration! So thank you God and thank you Sarah.

I have posted pictures on my personal blog: http://inspirationsarah.blogspot.com/