Gasp! Palin Uses Book as PAC Donation Incentive

ABC News broke a “news story” earlier this week… News Flash!  SarahPAC paid more than $60,000 to purchase copies of Governor Sarah Palin’s book Going Rogue: An American Life  to send to people who donated $100 or more.  ABC News’ Matthew Mosk reported:

The former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate had her political organization spend more than $63,000 on what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment." The payments went to Harper Collins, her publisher, and in some instances to HSP Direct, a Virginia-based direct mail fundraising firm that serves a number of well-known conservative politicians and pundits.

Why is this news?  Every politician who has a book and a PAC does the very same thing.  It is a smart fundraising technique.  Ministries and other organizations do this.  It would be stupid not to do if you have such a tool at your disposal.  It was obviously successful since SarahPAC raised $2.1 million in 2009 with $1.4 million in the last reporting period.  As far as the cost, HarperCollins doesn’t give those books away; somebody has to pay for them.  So I just find it curious that this was considered newsworthy.

Conservatives 4 Palin notes that Going Rogue was used as a fundraising tool for the Republican Governors Association as well:

Oh and WOW, I am impressed, “Going Rogue” got close to 5000 people to donate $100 to the RGA? that’s a whopping $500,000 for a book that is available for $13.50. Not bad for a two week gig.

Ed Morrissey makes a great point as well:

Palin isn’t a candidate for office (yet), and since each book retails for $13.50 on Amazon, that amounts to less than 4700 books — hardly an effort to pull a Dianetics-like dodge and artificially keeping it on bestseller lists.  Making the book an incentive for larger donations is not only a no-brainer, it’s just about SOP with plenty of other politicians as well…

…Joe Lieberman did the same thing in 2004, when he was a Senator and preparing for a re-election bid.  He didn’t take royalties off of those sales, but ABC also acknowledges that they don’t know if Palin did, either.  And since she’s a private citizen, it really doesn’t matter if she did or didn’t.

The big news here is that Palin’s PAC had at least 4600 donors in the fourth quarter who gave enough money to warrant the incentive gift.  Otherwise, this is a big nothingburger.

A whole lot of nothing, now how about focusing on something more newsworthy like Florida students ditching P.E., oh… wait.

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

Beltway ‘Conservative’ Blowhards Do Little to Impact Iowa Republican Opinion

I was over at The Bean Walker and noticed an op/ed by David Mastio at The Des Moines Register.  Who is David Mastio you may ask?  I’m not familiar either, but he is the “Senior Editor for Online Opinion” at The  Washington Times, and obviously he thinks we should care about his opinion regarding who Iowa Republicans support in 2012 and who we give our money to.

He chastises Iowa Republicans, and what is our crime?  Not only did Iowa Republicans give Sarah Palin a high approval rating in a recent Iowa Poll, but we also spent too much money on her book, Going Rogue: An American Life, as well as, time waiting in line for her book signing in Sioux City.  I’m also sure he’s wondering why establishment darling, Mitt Romney, still isn’t as well liked as Palin or Mike Huckabee here in the Hawkeye State.  As he peers down his nose at the unwashed masses who identify with the Republican Party of Iowa the Iowa Politics “expert” Mastio bloviates:

Once I thought there couldn't be anything dumber than the Democrats' combo of a giant auto bailout and "Cash for Clunkers." We'll squander untold billions, but completely fail to change the reality that there are fewer and fewer auto jobs, factories and dealers. When U.S. sales plummet from 17 million cars a year to around 10 million, there's not much a bailout can do other than slow the rout.

I was wrong. Iowa Republicans have come up with something worse. Call it "Cash for Quitters." A whopping two-thirds of self-identified Republicans have a positive view of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, according to the Iowa Poll, and, as a result, they're willing to line up in the cold by the hundreds while shelling out cash for her new book.

But every dollar that goes to Palin - in book sales now or campaign donations later - is a dollar that can't be used to help a Republican who actually has a prayer of being president.

What is his reasoning?  Because she left office early.

There's no getting past the fact that Palin is a quitter. In more than two centuries, nobody has ever been elected president when their only turn in high office was aborted in the middle just because doing the people's work got to be too much of a drag.

Now if she decides to run, a big if, no doubt that will be an item of discussion.  But to say “doing the people’s work got to be too much of a drag,” tells me that Mr. Mastio doesn’t have a clue about what was going on in the State  of Alaska, and he further proved it by writing:

Conservatives can say a lot of bad things about Bill Clinton, but one thing we can't say is that he ran from a fight. When voters took the House of Representatives and the Senate from his party, he still came in to work. When Republicans impeached him, he didn't give up and walk away, he bombed the former Yugoslavia. Liberals can say a lot of nasty things about George W. Bush. Even if he was a dumb warmonger, he kept right on dumbly warmongering, no matter what voters or the Democrats threw at him…

…If anything, politics in Washington, D.C., is tougher than the game they play in Juneau. If Palin can't handle cold politics on a glacier, she's not going to fare much better in the hot politics of the D.C. swamp.

In many ways, the 1994 elections did President Clinton a favor.  He got to govern from the center which is what he wanted to do anyway.  As far as his impeachment, fair or not, it was his behavior that led to that point.  Let’s not paint President Clinton to be an innocent victim or holding on to his position as not running from a fight.  I’m glad he was able to function and continue to accomplish the role of Commander-in-Chief.  As did President Bush… that is precisely the point.

Juneau is not D.C., and Governors do not have as much protection, or in many ways, power to continue to govern when their administration is in gridlock.  Governor Palin accomplished her agenda in the 2 1/2 years she was in office.  She stepped down to make sure that agenda would progress under an administration that wasn’t having frivolous ethics charges & FOIA filed against them left and right.  Her administration was in gridlock, and the state was wasting taxpayer money.  Governor Sean Parnell, so far, has had a pretty smooth tenure.  When she stepped out of the Governor’s Mansion she was able to take the fight to the next level.

She wouldn’t have been able to speak out on the health care debate, cap and tax, climate change, Afghanistan, and common sense conservatism in general if she were still Governor.  She wouldn’t be able to campaign in 2010 for good candidates, why?  Until the Alaksa Executive Ethics Act is addressed she’d still be incurring more complaints and incurring more debt (which this book I’m sure helped her pay off since her legal defense fund is frozen due to… you guessed it, another ethics complaint).

Perhaps wasting taxpayer money in order to be in a better political position is ok with Mastio.  That shouldn’t surprise us as he’s used to operating within the Beltway and that is how the game is played.  We in Iowa, if I can be bold enough to speak on behalf of those who do have a favorable opinion of Palin, are sick of politics as usual.

If she decides to run, and Iowa Republicans give their backing to her it won’t because of “just hope.”  It will because we see her as the real deal, and that we believe she has the right policies and experience to undo the damage that has been done.  It’ll be because we trust her over plastic, change as the wind blows, type of candidates like Mitt Romney.  Snarky and condescending op/eds won’t do much to change our mind.

In the meantime, I encourage all Iowa Republicans (and any Republican, independent, or conservative Democrat anywhere) to continue to “waste” their money by purchasing her book or by donating to SarahPAC.  It will be money better spent than sending it to anyone Mastio supports.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves to connect with fellow rogues so feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

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.

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.

Sarah Palin on Rusty Humphries Show

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Governor Sarah Palin was on the Rusty Humphries Show yesterday in between book signings.  This was a different interview, as he didn’t want to ask her the same questions that she had been asked numerous times already (listeners also submitted questions).  So they discussed ANWR, economy, illegal immigration, Climategate (which she did a Facebook post on yesterday), Obama’s birth certificate and past associations, and much more.

She received some criticism over her answer to Obama’s birth certificate, so she responded via Facebook:

Voters have every right to ask candidates for information if they so choose. I’ve pointed out that it was seemingly fair game during the 2008 election for many on the left to badger my doctor and lawyer for proof that Trig is in fact my child. Conspiracy-minded reporters and voters had a right to ask... which they have repeatedly. But at no point – not during the campaign, and not during recent interviews – have I asked the president to produce his birth certificate or suggested that he was not born in the United States.

HT: Josh Painter for the heads up on the interview.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves connecting with fellow Palin supporters.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Palin Goes Platinum

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com


Hillel Italie of the Associated Press reports that Governor Palin's Going Rogue has gone platinum.

HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said Tuesday that just two weeks after publication, Sarah Palin's memoir has sold 1 million copies. The print run for "Going Rogue" has been increased again, to 2.8 million copies. The original printing was 1.5 million, then moved up to 2.5 million.

"Going Rogue" joins a select club of million-selling political memoirs that includes Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope," Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" and Bill Clinton's "My Life."

If you have not bought and read the Governor's memoir, I urge you to do so--today. You will be glad you did.

I purchased the book a little after midnight on November 17th, the day it was released. I was the first person to purchase the book--right out of the box--in my city, and I finished it Saturday.

Going Rogue is captivating, insightful, and utterly inspiring. It illustrates Governor Palin's accomplishments, her commitment to her family, her strong foundation of faith--and, of course, the behind-the-scenes of the 2008 campaign. Upon completing the book, I wrote my initial reaction. It wasn't a full book review, just my first response. Read it here.

One Word about Going Rogue

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Just finished Going Rogue. Closed the book--and wept.

It wasn't the first time I wept while reading Sarah Palin's bestseller, but it will be the part that will remain with me.

I have given my word to those still reading who were afraid I'd give something away that there was nothing to fear; I won't give anything away. I don't like when people cheat me like that. It drives me nuts. So I will offer no details on content, just express my reaction. If you don't want to hear even that much, now's the time to log off!

I couldn't help but be overcome with emotion at various points throughout, but especially so at the end. This book speaks a word to me that Sarah Palin's life has spoken to me for over a year now: Destiny.

When she showed up on the scene as John McCain's running mate and I got to learn about her life, I was overwhelmed with a sense of destiny. God began to deal with me specifically about destiny. I still tell people today what He showed me through her life. I have always expressed it this way: "Here was a woman who was minding her own business, loving her God, adoring her family, governing her state. Simply as she was faithful to do that, God (not Senator McCain) tapped her on the shoulder and said, 'Come up a little higher.'" I have been in awe of that for more than a year now. It still speaks to me.

As I read the book, particularly the ending, I could see destiny tied up in every aspect of the Governor's life. She was just living her life, enjoying it--content. But the plan of God was about to unfold in a way that she may never have expected--at least not at that time. How incredible is God's plan.

But even as God spoke to me about Governor Palin's destiny over a year ago now, He added: "Don't get so caught up in stargazing, in watching someone else fulfill her destiny, that you miss your own. I have a plan for you, too."

I found myself for a time consumed with the concept of destiny.

I have always known that God had called me to, dare I say, greatness. I say that humbly, for I knew, even at a pretty young age, that God's hands were upon my life. How strange it is now to remember that I could never find words to describe what I was feeling until I heard...of all people...Oprah Winfrey say many years ago that she had known she was destined for greatness. When I heard her say it, I said, "Yes, that's it! That's what I've been feeling!" I was amazed when just a few months ago, a friend from church used Oprah's life as an example of what she felt God was doing in my life (not her politics, just her story).

When the world got to meet Sarah Palin, I was reminded of the big picture, not just about her, but about me. And one thing I feel the Governor has done is incite people to rise up and take a stand in their own lives. I knew that it was good to support her--which I do wholeheartedly--but with an understanding of how God works, how He desires to lead all of us into the specific plan He has for us. My pastor always says, "God's plan is Plan 'A' for your life. There is no Plan 'B,'" and I believe that. I began to feel stirred up to live out God's plan for my life. It's not good enough to watch someone else fulfill her call; we've got to desire to fulfill our own great call, as well. To be honest, greatness is simply doing what it is you're supposed to be doing, no matter what it is. Sometimes that call is helping someone fulfill theirs. Whatever it is, I am determined to live out my life with God's original intent.

I was truly overcome with destiny at that time, and recently that awareness has returned. I am seeing God do things that only He could do. I am watching in awe at His favor, His grace, His blessings--and I see that it all flows from the destiny that He's had in mind all along.

My church has prayer service every Saturday night. This evening, as we prayed, I was again bombarded with that word: destiny. I began to pray aloud about it, to voice what I felt in my heart: We existed in the mind of God before the foundations of the Earth were laid. God has been fashioning us and forming us. We were created in exquisite detail to fulfill His divine purpose. Our likes, our dislikes, our passions, our personalities, even the things we've gone through, all serve a purpose. He had already determined how He would cause even the most unpleasant circumstances, those He would've liked to shield us from, to work together for our good, for His purpose. It is a thought too intense for me to fully wrap my brain around, but I have a decent handle on it.

I came home from prayer and set out to read the rest of Going Rogue, and the closer I got to the end, the more the book screamed, "DESTINY!" That's really what it speaks to me--that and how human Sarah, the person, is. I see her life traveling down this road to that road to another road--and the journey continues. I see someone who has the imprint of God's hand all over her life as He takes her where He wants her to go. No, I am not saying we are robots or puppets in His hand. Far from it, but when we decide to be soft and pliable clay, He molds us and shapes us, and we end up being what He always intended. We arrive at the place He had already prepared: Plan 'A.'

I see that in Sarah Palin.

The end of her book brought me to tears, as it speaks what I know to be true: when we are open and available to Him--in spite of the challenges that are sure to come, in spite of those who seek to destroy us, in spite of the unexpected--we can't help but be in a good place, make an impact, and, most of all, fulfill the destiny God has for our lives. And sometimes, just sometimes, it's much bigger than we could have ever anticipated.

I finished the book--and I wept. I wept because of the goodness of God in the life of Sarah Palin--past, present, and future. But I also wept at the potential of my own.

It all comes down to one thing for me: Destiny.

Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue is an Enjoyable, Insightful, and Engaging Read.

by Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

My copy of Governor Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue: An American Life came a week ago.  I’m typically not a fan of autobiographies or political memoirs.  When I go into a bookstore that type of book isn’t what I usually leave with.  So this book purchase was solely due to my being a supporter of the Governor’s.

I found Going Rogue to be an enjoyable, insightful and engaging read.  Palin gives readers a peak into her life, her record, her priorities and her policies “unfiltered.”  You also get a sense of her heart to serve.  She recounted a friend saying to her that in politics, “you either eat well or you sleep well.”  She chose the later which led to making tough choices that were not necessarily comfortable or easy, but were made in the best interest of her state.  Those decisions ranged from challenging corruption to her decision to resign as Governor.

One of of the things I was struck by was her sense of humor.  Such as in her description of when her first child, Track’s birth (talking about Labor and how her family took her to the hospital entrance that said “Deliveries”) to watching Vice President Joe Biden’s pre-debate stretching.  Also, while she has certainly lived an extraordinary life, you do see how mainstream her life really was from her childhood to even as a Vice Presidential candidate (changing her son’s diaper right before the VP debate).

Also you can see throughout her book the role her faith in Christ plays in her life.  Describing at an early age when she placed her faith in Christ at a Bible Camp, attending Wasilla Assembly of God, her involvement in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, her Bible study habits growing up,  how she relied on Him through two miscarriages, learning that Trig had Down Syndrome, pointing out God’s providence throughout her life (in good and bad), and readers get a glimpse of her prayer life.  At the end of her acknowledgements she encourages readers to do what she did when she was a kid.

And I do know there is a God.  My life is in His hands.  I encourage readers to do what I did many years ago, invite Him in to take over… then see what He will do and how He will get you through.  Test Him on this.

This book isn’t a tell-all.  She doesn’t seek to name names or “get even.”  She does try to set the record straight in several instances – like “Troopergate,” accusations about her being a diva & the $150,000 wardrobe.  As much as the interviews she gave would make you think she talked a lot about the Katie Couric interview, she really doesn’t give it that much space.  She was highly complementary of her “B Team,” those assigned to the VP end of the ticket.  Her critiques with the campaign mainly dealt with 1. her being kept from the press, especially the Alaska press.  2. Being overly scripted.  3. Leaks/rumors from within the campaign.

She was also disappointed on how the political environment changed when getting back to Alaska.  The ethics reform act for the executive branch was something that was lauded by the Palin administration.  There were real ethics breeches.  There were people from the prior administration who were fined, and others who were on their way to prison.  You get a sense of how ludicrous the misuse of the ethics act and FOIA requests became.  Throughout the campaign and afterwards Palin also expresses her disappointment with the press who would often commit the “sin of omission.”

Going Rogue isn’t a policy book per se, as that wasn’t the sole purpose of the book, I disagree with those who say the book is policy light.  You could see Governor Palin’s principles & priorities woven throughout the book as her belief in free market principles, small government, sanctity of life, and hard work were instilled from an early age.  They were further developed throughout her life, and fleshed out in policies that she implemented as a member of Wasilla’s city council, as Wasilla’s mayor, an oil and gas regulator, and then as Governor of the State of Alaska. 

You also see a common theme in her service as an executive.  Cut spending, lower taxes, and put government on the side of the people instead of in their way.  She accomplished much in the 2 1/2 years she served as Governor from ethics reform, budget cuts (before the recession when they didn’t have to), gasline development, forcing Big Oil to honor their leases to they would develop, restructuring taxes for oil and gas companies in order to encourage development and exploration, as well as, increased value to resource royalties that Alaskans received.

In the last chapter of the book she engages the theme of common sense conservatism, she describes it this way:

At it’s most basic level, conservatism is a respect for history and tradition, including traditional moral principles.  I do not believe I am more moral, certainly no better, than anyone else, and conservatives who act “holier than thou” turn my stomach.  So do some elite liberals.  But I do believe in a few timeless and unchanging truths, and chief among those is that man is fallen.  This world is not perfect, and politicians will never make it so.  This, above all, is what informs my pragmatic approach to politics.

I am conservative because I deal with the world as it is – complicated and beautiful, tragic and hopeful.  I am a conservative because I believe in the rights and the responsibilities and the inherent dignity of the individual….

…Conservatives believe in the “constrained” political vision because we know that human nature is flawed and that there are limitations to what can be done in Washington to “fix” society’s problems.

Commonsense Conservatives deal with human nature as it is – with its unavoidable weaknesses and its potential for goodness.  We see the world as it is – imperfect but filled with beauty.  We hope for the best.  We believe people can change for the better, but we do not ignore history’s lessons and waste time chasing utopian pipe dreams, (pg. 385-386).

She harkens back to Ronald Reagan as a model we should look at as we proceed further – fiscal discipline, small government, strong national defense, traditional values, and energy independence.  Things that she doesn’t just talk about, but has also lived out.

My respect for Governor Palin has been deepened as a result of reading this book, and I think that those who are undecided about her will come away with a positive opinion after reading this book.  You will certainly finish the book being challenged and inspired “stand up and fight” for commonsense conservatism (unless you’re a liberal).  I highly, highly recommend Going Rogue: An American Life.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves connecting with other Palin supporters so feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

On Determining Palin’s Political Future

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Everybody has an opinion, and 2012 is still three years away.  Oh but how we love to speculate.  The lamestream media reaches opposite conclusions when they try to strain a gnat over what Governor Palin has said or hasn’t said about 2012.  Speculation can be fun, and I do think the 2012 race will be incredibly interesting. 

As far as Sarah Palin is concerned, after watching or listening to several of her many interviews last week, and what I’ve read so far in Going Rogue: An American Life (review coming soon) I see someone who has not decided.  She isn’t focused on 2012, but she isn’t closing the door.

We’ve got the 2010 elections to focus on first, and all indications are (read: that is what she has said) that is what is on her radar when her book tour ends.  Some desire to close the door on her running in 2012 by being petty, and that can be seen in a piece that Peter Wallsten wrote for the Wall Street Journal:

Ms. Palin's book tour includes a Dec. 6 stop in Sioux City, Iowa. But she declined an invitation to appear at a Nov. 21 fund-raiser for the conservative Iowa Family Policy Center, which had reserved a Des Moines sports arena in anticipation of her attendance.

"All these other national figures are coming here to help us, and she's coming here to sell books," said an Iowa Republican official.

Added Michael Dennehy, a Republican consultant who worked for 2008 nominee John McCain: "People are anxious to see what she's going to do, but at this point there's no evidence of Sarah Palin organizing in New Hampshire or having any interest in organizing."

Let me respond to this bit of “analysis.”  First it is 2009.  Secondly the IFPC event “controversy” was a contrived one.  Thirdly, the anonymous Iowa Republican official (who had better hope and pray I don’t find out his or her identity) just sounds like a complete whiner (probably a Mittwit).  She’s already said she plans to come to Iowa to speak to IFPC, and told the Republican Party of Iowa that she would love to come here.  This “official” is basically complaining that it isn’t being done on his or her timeframe.  So sorry that she had contractual obligations, and sorry that you have something against capitalism.  Are you in the right party?  I mean really, complaining that she is selling books?  Fourth, she just left office in late July, just completed her book, and then will finish with this book tour.  Then she has said she’ll focus on 2010.

2012?  Who knows, but to determine whether she is running or not in 2012 based on not being organized in 2009 is incredibly premature.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves to connect with other conservatives and Palin fans, so please feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Palin on Hannity

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

This afternoon Governor Sarah Palin was on Sean Hannity’s radio show for about 15-16 minutes.  Talked the health care bill, the Obama administration, Ronald Reagan, made a reference to “lamestream media,” federal deficits, 2010 elections, government spending, political party machines, and 2012.

She is also going to be on his Fox News show tonight for the whole hour… will update with video here if/when it becomes available.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He loves to connect with people so feel free to follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook.

Sarah on Oprah

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts

Governor Sarah Palin was on Oprah today to kick off her the book tour for her first book, Going Rogue: An American Life.  It was the first time since at least college I’ve sat down to watch a show.  Some thoughts & highlights:

• There was no snubbing, that was something that was overblown by the media.  Governor Palin said that during the campaign she wasn’t aware of the controversy, she said, “no offense, but you weren’t the center of my universe at the time.”  Oprah confirmed that she never asked to come on.
• It was a fair interview with questions covering Bristol’s pregnancy, how she was handled during the campaign, the Katie Couric interview, election night, Levi Johnston, & 2012 aspirations.  No policy discussion, but I didn’t expect that from Oprah.
• Governor Palin seemed pretty at ease with the only exception being when they were discussing Levi Johnston.
• I appreciate the way she handled Johnston.  Saying she’d rather not comment.  She seemed to me more disappointed and in her words “heartbroken” by the choices he was making and was being handled.  She said that he is heading down an unhealthy road.  She was mostly conciliatory in her comments saying that she continues to hope for the best and that she prays for Levi.  She also said he needs to know that he is loved.
• She flatly denied that Levi and Bristol ever lived together, and that many of his claims (Vanity Fair piece of fiction) were inconsistent.  She again pointed to the fact that he is a teenager is being mishandled.
• She was very transparent about when she found out Trig was going to have Down Syndrome and how she broke that news to Todd.
• She said that her interview with Katie Couric was bad.  She said that she was annoyed by the questioning (we only saw a few minutes of hours of taping), and that “it wasn’t professional to wear her annoyance on her sleeve.”  Which is why she didn’t list what she read because the question annoyed her – she did say looking back she wish she did to avoid the controversy that ensued.  She did say that if the Couric interview was the only way people got to know her that she wouldn’t “blame them for thinking I was not qualified or well prepared.”
• Oprah sent a crew to her home in Wasilla on Halloween, that was a great video showing some behind the scenes in the Palin home.  It reinforced that they are a mainstream family, which is why so many relate to them.
• She was very complementary of Todd and talked about the strength of their marriage, and at the end of the interview that she wouldn’t have been able to get through the challenges she has faced if it wasn’t for “God and Todd.”
• Regarding 2012, she said it wasn’t on her radar, but when Oprah asked, “If you were planning on running would you tell me?”  She quickly said no.  She said right now she’s thinking 2010, so it’s safe to say she’ll be out stumping for conservative candidates.
• Oprah says that Going Rogue was “fascinating read.”

In all I think it was a great interview, and I think will be a positive for her with some who may have been on the fence.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Sarah Palin: Really? Still Making Things Up?

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Governor Sarah Palin was up extremely early this morning posting on Facebook:

The book tour starts this week, and I look forward to it! I'm most looking forward to meeting many of you, shaking your hands, and telling you,"Thanks for loving America." I'll give you a scoop here and tell you what's on the book's Dedication Page – it's dedicated to you – Patriots – who love the U.S.A. as much as I do.

Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the AP somehow nabbed a copy of the book before it was released. They're now erroneously reporting on the book's contents and are repeating many of the same things they spewed during the campaign and afterwards. We've heard 11 writers are engaged in this opposition research, er, "fact checking" research! Imagine that – 11 AP reporters dedicating time and resources to tearing up the book, instead of using the time and resources to "fact check" what's going on with Sheik Mohammed's trial, Pelosi's health care takeover costs, Hassan's associations, etc. Amazing.

We'll keep setting the record straight, and we'll keep reminding some in the media that Americans are very tired of their non-objective reporting. A great, recent post that accomplishes this is a Conservatives4Palin post. It's got some nice fact checking included. As always, they did a great job holding some of the media accountable for spreading more misinformation and for making things up. You can read it here. Enjoy!

And I can't wait to see you! God bless the fight for freedom! Keep up the great work, Patriots who love this country.

- Sarah Palin

Kudos to Conservatives4Palin.com for the shout out by the Cuda!

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Pigs Do Fly: Alaskan Democrats Defend Palin (Update: Oops)

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts

Pigs do fly.  Alaska Democrats & Obama supporters defend Palin on pipeline record that AP says was “flawed” when they were “fact checking” Going Rogue: An American Life (isn’t that opining anyway?  Is the AP supposed to do that?).  A snippet from the Juneau Empire, that I thought was especially telling:

The AP story quoted only two legislators, Senate President Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, and Sen. Bert Stedman, R-Sitka, both in the minority who voted against the TransCanada deal.

Juneau Rep. Beth Kerttula said AP reporter Burke talked with her, but didn’t include her defense of Palin.

"I don’t believe Gov. Palin should become vice president, but I don’t think this story was fair and accurate," she said. *snip*

The story said the oil companies were unhappy that Palin did not support their request for 45-year tax and royalty freezes but didn’t say that Palin and most legislators think that is not allowed under the Alaska Constitution. (emphasis mine, be sure to read the whole thing)

Instead of calling themselves the Associated Press, I think Another Prevarication would be better suited.  AP can now be filed under news you can not trust.  Putting another nail in mainstream journalism’s coffin.

From an updated post at Caffeinated Thoughts.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Be sure to follow him on Twitter and friend him on Facebook.

Update: I goofed, that story was from 2008.  Sorry!  Just a little detail.  I’ll leave my mistake, with this correction, up.  Unlike AP.

American Pravda Keeps Going After Palin

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts

After botching initial coverage of Governor Sarah Palin’s book, Going Rogue: An American Life, and having one of their mistakes regarding a legal bill go viral.  They keep at it.  Today there is blatant editorializing in their article that was up at the Anchorage Daily News site:

NEW YORK -- Sarah Palin's new memoir describes heart-wrenching anguish about her teen daughter's pregnancy playing out before a national audience. But the 413-page tome doesn't contain a single reference to the father of her grandson, soon-to-be Playgirl model Levi Johnston.

In "Going Rogue," which will be released Tuesday, Palin also laments about everyone in her entourage being forced to wear fancy clothes she couldn't afford -- preferring simpler, cheaper garb. But it's as if Johnston, who was among those hastily spiffed up to appear at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., had never left Wasilla.

The tactic does appear to have merit; Johnston, who has sparred repeatedly with his former mother-in-law-to-be, continues to warn that she should leave him alone, or he might dish some serious dirt that "will hurt her." (emphasis mine)

It appears to have merit?  Yes, after reports about what was said during her Oprah interview, after receiving his “Fleshbot award” in New York for his upcoming Playgirl spread he reiterated this.  Let that sink in for a moment.

Perhaps the better answer is that she doesn’t want to destroy the father of her grandson (who is doing a good job of that all on his own).  Perhaps she’s doing that for the benefit of her grandson who may later on read the book.  Perhaps she doesn’t want to rehash all of the stupid things this kid has done or said after the break-up.  This kid has lost all credibility and most on the left see that he is a complete liar, but in the AP’s mind, it has merit.  Oh brother.  If he had something on her we can be sure it would have been discovered by now.

I really didn’t want to blog on this kid again, thanks AP.

They are in full-blown attack mode “fact-checking” her book.  And their fact-checking needs fact-checking.  Did they ever do this with President Obama’s books?  How about the late Senator Ted Kennedy’s memoir?  Then sources (we have sources here!) say this book is policy-lite.  But Rush predicted the tactic we see being used:

I talked to her yesterday, I've got the book, I have it right over there and I've had a chance, I just got it a couple days ago, three days ago, and I've had a chance to go through it, and I made a prediction to her when I talked to her yesterday.  I said, "You've got enough in here that people who get hold of this, like the AP or any of the State-Controlled Media, they're gonna focus on the soap opera aspects of your book, and they're going to ignore what is truly one of the most substantive policy books I've read."  

This woman, Governor Palin, clearly is jazzed by policy, particularly environmental policy and energy policy, as well as taxes and so forth.  I talked to her about the future of the Republican Party, what she thought about New York-23, how she deals with the character assassination, not just of herself, but of her entire family.

Now it is a memoir, it isn’t going to be all policy and become a wonkish tome, but to say it doesn’t tackle any policy issues at all doesn’t wash.  Especially if you’ve been reading her Facebook notes of late.

Obviously this is the type of “news” organization that the White House likes, but if you’re wondering about her book, keep your powder dry, you can read it yourself this Tuesday.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Palin’s Going Rogue Tour Coming to Sioux City

By Shane Vander Hart, Caffeinated Thoughts 

Governor Sarah Palin is coming to Iowa for a book signing for her soon to be released book, Going Rogue: An American Life.

Pertinent Info:

Barnes & Noble
Southern Hills Mall
4400 Sergeant Road
Sioux City, IA 51106
1:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 6, 2009

I’m thinking road trip unless she comes closer.  It had to be about as far away as you can get from Des Moines while still being in the state.  Car pool anyone?

HT: Josh Painter

From the Barnes & Noble website event calendar:

Sarah Palin is signing Going Rogue at this event. No other books or memorabilia. A limited number of wristbands for entry into this booksigning will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the store beginning at 7 AM on 12/6/09.

Sunday December 06, 2009 1:00 PM
Southern Hills Mall
4400 Sergeant Rd Unit 550, Sioux City, IA 51106, 712-276-5515

Special Instructions
An original Barnes & Noble or bn.com sales receipt for Going Rogue by Sarah Palin must be presented in order to receive a wristband. Must be present in person to receive wristband. Maximum 2 copies of Going Rogue per person will be signed at event. Please call store for additional event details.

I also called the store and they didn’t have any additional details beyond what is online.  Though it probably wouldn’t hurt to call ahead as it gets closer.

Also if I learn of any other Iowa locations (or Omaha – since that is actually closer to me than Sioux City),  I’ll post.  For any other locations, Texas for Sarah Palin along with several other blogs are maintaining a clearing house of Going Rogue tour events here.  Also you can follow the tour as Governor Palin launches her new Twitter account - @SarahPalinUSA as the tour begins.

Bret Hayworth has some background info on Palin’s trip to Sioux City.  Apparently she specifically requested Sioux City if it was the only Iowa stop she could make:

I’ve just wrapped a second-day piece on the announcement that 2008 Republican Party vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will bring her “Going Rogue” booksigning tour to Sioux City. It will be her only Iowa appearance, so many Siouxlanders are pumped to see Palin. I spoke with Barnes & Noble community relations manager Elisha Karr, who said she heard from up the chain that Palin specifically asked to come to Sioux City. Seems she’d been buoyed by a crowd of 4,500 people at West High School here in the last few days before the 2008 election. I was there, Palin was definitely embraced by the crowd that day.

Also a couple of additional rules… in order to keep the line going:

• No posed photos with Palin.
• No personalization of signings of the books, Palin will be providing only an autograph.

So it looks like she isn’t coming to Des Moines.  Drat, again… anyone in my neck of the woods up for a road trip?  It’ll be a brutal one.

Shane Vander Hart is the editor of Caffeinated Thoughts.  Feel free to follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.

Sarah Palin Will Help Oprah Winfrey

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

As I blogged yesterday, it appears that Sarah Palin will grace the Oprah Winfrey Show on November 16th, the day before Sarah's already-best seller hits the stands. I wrote in a previous post that Going Rogue rose to the top of the charts without Oprah's help. This I wrote in light of the fact that Oprah had previously suggested that Sarah would appear on her show because she would need Oprah to sell her book.

So Sarah has chosen to give Oprah an interview. Some anklebiters have emailed me to say that this is evidence that Sarah actually does need Oprah. Not the case. It will, no doubt, be an interesting interview, but let's be real: "Nah na na na na nah" emails are outrageous given the facts.

When Sarah sits on Oprah's couch, people will get to see the real Sarah, and she will be able to tell her own story--unfiltered--and let's keep this in perspective. Clearly, Oprah is not Sarah's source, she does not butter Sarah's bread, and Sarah did not need Oprah to sell her book. Going Rogue soared to the top of the charts without the help of Ms. Winfrey. Sarah's appearance on Oprah's show is because she chooses to go, not because she needs to.

The Washington Post reports:

Oprah Winfrey, on a campaign to climb back from last season's ratings slump, will attempt to kiss and make up with conservative viewers on Nov. 16 when she has Sarah Palin on her syndicated talk show.

You may have noticed that the appearance by the former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate is happening smack dab in the middle of the November ratings derby.
It's also the day before Palin's new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" is scheduled to hit bookstores.

[...]

It's not just another show booking for Oprah Winfrey. She's going whole hog this season to try to recover from the ratings tumble she took last season when her audience slid to under 7 million viewers. And, during one awful week in July, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" suffered its smallest ratings since its debut way back in 1985.

Industry navel gazers speculated Oprah had turned off some of her conservative viewers -- or, more accurately, they had turned her off -- when she not only endorsed then presidential candidate Barack Obama but even campaigned for him. (Palin, of course, was the running mate of Obama's rival, Sen. John McCain.)

[...]

We rest our case.

Read the entire article here.

(H/T C4P)

NOTE: Keep in mind that confirmation from Palin's spokesperson, Meghan Stapleton, is needed before any such appearance is considered official.

Palin Turns Down RPI Fundraiser, Pawlenty Up

By Shane Vander Hart

Here in Iowa we practically trip over presidential candidates, it’s part of the state’s charm, if you love politics that is.  The closer to the caucus the better (or worse depending on your perspective) it gets.  Mike Huckabee has recently been in the state stumping for Bob Vander Plaats.  Last week possible contender Rick Santorum came to Iowa.  Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is coming next month to headline the Republican Party of Iowa’s fundraising dinner called “Leadership for Iowa.”  Pawlenty seems to be positioning himself for a run in 2012:

Last week Pawlenty, who is not running for re-election next year, opened a national leadership political action committee and unveiled a team of national political advisers that suggest the Midwestern governor is eyeing a 2012 presidential bid.

Among those advisers are Iowans Sara Taylor and Terry Nelson, who were key advisers to President George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

Pawlenty has also built up goodwill among some GOP activists in Iowa, where he campaigned for 2008 GOP presidential nominee John McCain, including before the leadoff nominating caucuses when the Arizona senator’s campaign teetered on financial collapse.

He wasn’t RPI’s first choice.  Chairman Matt Strawn had invited Sarah Palin originally for this dinner or any other event she’d like to have.  Essentially an open invitation to come to Iowa.  Politico reports that her spokesperson, Meg Stapleton said the timing was too difficult.

Palin adviser Meg Stapleton said the former governor is still interested in a visit to the Hawkeye State, but that they couldn’t fit the dinner in.

"With the Governor's accelerated book schedule and other travel obligations, the timing was just too difficult to make a firm commitment,” Stapleton said, adding, “We look forward to another opportunity."

And I know that many of us would love to have her, as she was well received the last time she was here.  With her book, Going Rogue: An American Life coming out on November 17 it’s already #1 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  It is already a best seller at Borders and in the top 50 for pre-orders (they don’t rank as far as I can tell).  That may incite (or quash) speculation about her intentions in 2012.  Regardless, I hope she’ll include Des Moines on a book signing tour.

Shane Vander Hart is the Editor of Caffeinated Thoughts. You can follow Shane on Twitter and friend him on Facebook.

Tapping into Your Inner-Rogue

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com


Since Sarah Palin’s book has become a bestseller, Palin-haters have turned out in droves in another attempt to discredit her. Even those anklebiters who were on hiatus have gathered strength, reloaded, and are aiming once again toward the former vice presidential candidate. The fact that she is enjoying such success when, upon her resignation from the Governor’s Office, they had giddily predicted her demise, is infuriating them. How is it that someone who has been coined insignificant by the haters has created such a stir with a book that has not yet hit the stands? The truth is if the anklebiters were honest, they’d admit that Sarah Palin is the epitome of significance, and she conjures up within them fear of a magnitude they have never experienced before.

So what weapons have they emerged wielding? Surely they must have some juicy tidbit of information about Governor Palin that will completely discredit her, right? Wrong. Certainly they have created some new Saturday Night Live-ish parody involving her family, yes? Oh, no. That's amateurish. They pulled out the big guns this time. The past week has caused such a new outbreak of Palin Derangement Syndrome that the haters have been left with no other choice but to go after her…book title. Yes, I said her book title.

What a sad state of affairs. I truly feel sorry for anyone who is so filled with hate that they will stop at nothing to destroy someone. And since nothing else has worked, they have now unveiled Operation Attack Book Title. And they’re zeroing in on one word in particular: rogue.

I have received messages from some of these people who obviously think that I am in need of a dictionary definition of the word. In their concern for my well-being (yeah, right), they want me to know that I am supporting someone who is a self-avowed…make the children leave the room please…rogue. They have informed me that being a rogue is a bad thing. Bad Sarah. Bad, bad Sarah. Concerning this word, one anklebiter wrote, “How fitting,” then went on to spew his hateful venom, stating that Sarah Palin picked her title because, being the “mean-spirited” person that she is, it suits her well. He wanted me to know that rogue means “an unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.”

Just who do these people think they’re fooling, and who do they think they’re dealing with? No doubt, they know the story. Surely, they have heard about some unnamed McCain staffer/s who said Sarah “went rogue” during the campaign. It was a title bestowed upon her in an attempt to malign her.

What Sarah has done is chosen the definition of rogue that fits. Although I have not yet read the book, I have a feeling Sarah’s going rogue is a matter of being true to who she is and breaking free of some of those chains those McCain camp mis-handlers used to tie her to stale, inept campaign tactics. Yes, another definition of rogue is “operating outside normal or desirable controls.” That’s the rogue that Sarah Palin exemplifies even today, and I would not be surprised if her book reveals that she tapped into that inner-rogue as the campaign progressed. It reminds me of when Sarah’s dad said, “Let Sarah be Sarah,” when Jesus said of Lazarus, “Loose him and let him go,” and when they say in the hood, “Yo, get up off me!”

The truth is we would all be wise to tap into our own inner-rogues. The problem is some people are scared to operate outside of what’s expected of them. Breaking away from control might mean swimming against the current rather than floating safely back to shore. Every Black conservative, for example, has had to break free of the expectations of the majority of the Black population and a very large portion of the White population so we could be true to our own deepest beliefs. It’s not an easy thing to do. It comes at a cost. It’s downright rogue. There are those who would like to join in, but have simply not yet found the strength to step away from the pack and be true to the one who matters.

Going rogue means standing up for what's right even when it's not popular. It means saying the hard things because no one else has the courage to speak up. It means not backing down even when people have you up against a wall. It means not having a price tag attached to your sleeve. The bottom line is going rogue means realizing enough is enough, choosing to step out, trusting your instincts, and doing it your way.

The title of this bestseller declares Sarah Palin has chosen to wear as a badge of honor the term originally conferred upon her as an insult. And she should. Whenever the “normal or desirable controls” are going nowhere fast, the smart thing to do is to resist, break free, and, yes, go rogue—even faster.

My wish for every one of you: May you follow Sarah Palin’s example and tap into your own inner-rogue.

Going Rogue Book Cover

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

WORLDmag.com announces:

By yesterday, the book, which was written with the help of WORLD senior writer Lynn Vincent, had already risen to the top of the bestseller lists at the two major online retailers, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, with sales that skyrocketed so quickly, it led one publishing industry source to call it “truly unprecedented.”

And today, all those book buyers and book-buyers-to-be can now get a glimpse of what the cover of Going Rogue: An American Life is going to look like.

Pre-Order Palin's Book Now - Going Rogue: An American Life

By Adrienne Ross - www.motivationtruth.com

Yesterday I wrote that you might want to get in line now for Sarah Palin's book, due out on November 17th. Today you can beat the rush. You may pre-order Going Rogue: An American Life here and here.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The book, which will be published on November 17, was a crash project. Ms. Palin actually moved temporarily to San Diego after she resigned the governorship in July so she could be close to her collaborator, Lynn Vincent. I bumped into Ms. Vincent, a former editor at the Christian-oriented World magazine, in New York a few weeks ago, where she had parked herself in a hotel close to the offices of HarperCollins while working on the book's final edits.

Ms. Vincent didn't reveal any details about the book, but did acknowledge it will describe Ms. Palin's frustration over her treatment by the staffers she inherited from the McCain campaign after her surprise pick as the GOP vice presidential nominee last year. Ms. Palin was booked on grueling interviews with hostile reporters while talk-show hosts such as Glenn Beck couldn't even get through to her aides. Mr. Beck tells me he was stunned when he picked up the phone one day just before the election to discover Sarah Palin was on the other end of the line. "She explained that she had been blocked from reaching her audience, so she was now 'going rogue' and booking her own interviews," Mr. Beck told me. "I was thrilled she had burst out of the cage they'd built for her and we were finally talking."

That incident was the only time Ms. Palin declared her independence from her keepers, and it's fitting that the title of her upcoming book will be "Going Rogue: An American Life."

Barnes and Noble offered this synopsis:

Sarah Palin burst onto the political scene at the height of the 2008 presidential campaign and overnight became a national sensation. Adored by the right, bitterly reviled by the left, she is the most polarizing figure to emerge in American politics in decades. Yet for all the dirt digging and gossip that has surrounded her, very little is actually known about who she is, what she believes, and above all, about her plans for the future. In her new book, Sarah Palin tells the story of her Alaskan upbringing, her marriage and family life, her political career, her religious beliefs, and her meteoric rise to national prominence. With her customary blunt common sense, she sets the record straight about the many myths and lies that have been spun around her and lays out her vision for an America that is strong, independent, and free.

A couple things are certain: This book will be an instant bestseller, and the world will get a good look at Sarah Palin as she is--her own voice detailing her own experiences and sharing her own vision for America.

Pre-order Going Rogue: An American Life today.