Palin Goes Rogue
Brendan Monroe
Issue date: 12/4/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
One would be hard pressed to find anyone who has yet to form an opinion about Sarah Palin. The release of her long awaited and much debated memoir "Going Rogue" caps an incredible year for the self-described "hockey mom." A lot has happened in that time; the war in Afghanistan has escalated, the unemployment rate has risen, and President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. These are all things that one could claim have only served to bolster Palin's appeal to wandering conservatives. Even if the country has had a bad year, Palin has had a good one. Other than resigning the governorship of Alaska, Palin has been busy giving speeches and spearheading, along with Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, nationwide "tea parties" which have "rallied the troops," in Mrs. Palin's words.
Exactly what the conservative cause is, no one seems to know, including Palin herself. Shuddering through her hastily written memoir, I note multiple references to Ronald Reagan and lower taxes. The two ideas seem to have mated together and given birth. Between rehashing the bad and the good, Palin has graciously left some space for some stargazing-the celebrity kind. She ogles over actor Jon Voight and brags about her experience with the "SNL" cast during a late campaign visit. Palin covers these events with such wide-eyed bewilderment that makes me wonder if "TMZ" might have suited her interests better than the political world. But, lest we think she is all fluff, Palin attempts from time to time to delve into that heady policy stuff, and, as usual, runs into some trouble. Recalling the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the 1989 Exxon-Valdez disaster, Palin writes:
"It took years for Alaska to achieve victory. As governor, I directed our attorney general to write an amicus brief in the case, and, thanks to Alaska's able attorneys arguing in front of the highest court in the land, in 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the people."
In reality, Palin and environmentalists bemoaned the ruling at the time as a "disappointment." The ruling slashed punitive damages for the victims from $2.5 billion to $500 million. Some victory that is. Palin, has graciously shared a two-plus page excerpt in her memoir for a letter she wrote from God. Yes, that is right. Palin wrote a letter from God. The letter, which she wrote about her son Trig, was signed, "Your Heavenly Father." The ego is on display again later when, rushing to tidy up loose ends, Palin puts the blame for the failed 2008 campaign on McCain staffers for not letting her speak freely and for limiting her media appearances. After all, those Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric interviews went so well!
Palin also contradicts herself, having written an email at the end of last year's campaign to the same staffers thanking them for their help and putting the blame on herself. Amazing what a book deal will do for your memory. The list of previous comments Palin retracts and new positions she takes goes on and on. In the end, "Going Rogue" will please exactly the kind of people that go gaga over Sarah Palin already and will certainly not help in persuading those weary of her to come join her side. If Sarah Palin is truly the face of conservatism heading into a new decade, then conservatives have a lot to be worried about.
"Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable woman really is," the print on the book jacket reads.
Reading this fantastical tale made me laugh away the Rogue and simply wish she would be Going.
Exactly what the conservative cause is, no one seems to know, including Palin herself. Shuddering through her hastily written memoir, I note multiple references to Ronald Reagan and lower taxes. The two ideas seem to have mated together and given birth. Between rehashing the bad and the good, Palin has graciously left some space for some stargazing-the celebrity kind. She ogles over actor Jon Voight and brags about her experience with the "SNL" cast during a late campaign visit. Palin covers these events with such wide-eyed bewilderment that makes me wonder if "TMZ" might have suited her interests better than the political world. But, lest we think she is all fluff, Palin attempts from time to time to delve into that heady policy stuff, and, as usual, runs into some trouble. Recalling the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the 1989 Exxon-Valdez disaster, Palin writes:
"It took years for Alaska to achieve victory. As governor, I directed our attorney general to write an amicus brief in the case, and, thanks to Alaska's able attorneys arguing in front of the highest court in the land, in 2008 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the people."
In reality, Palin and environmentalists bemoaned the ruling at the time as a "disappointment." The ruling slashed punitive damages for the victims from $2.5 billion to $500 million. Some victory that is. Palin, has graciously shared a two-plus page excerpt in her memoir for a letter she wrote from God. Yes, that is right. Palin wrote a letter from God. The letter, which she wrote about her son Trig, was signed, "Your Heavenly Father." The ego is on display again later when, rushing to tidy up loose ends, Palin puts the blame for the failed 2008 campaign on McCain staffers for not letting her speak freely and for limiting her media appearances. After all, those Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric interviews went so well!
Palin also contradicts herself, having written an email at the end of last year's campaign to the same staffers thanking them for their help and putting the blame on herself. Amazing what a book deal will do for your memory. The list of previous comments Palin retracts and new positions she takes goes on and on. In the end, "Going Rogue" will please exactly the kind of people that go gaga over Sarah Palin already and will certainly not help in persuading those weary of her to come join her side. If Sarah Palin is truly the face of conservatism heading into a new decade, then conservatives have a lot to be worried about.
"Yet even now, few Americans know who this remarkable woman really is," the print on the book jacket reads.
Reading this fantastical tale made me laugh away the Rogue and simply wish she would be Going.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
George Post
posted 12/06/09 @ 11:46 AM EST
Yes I have an opinion on her also. I love her
Andi Perez
posted 12/14/09 @ 2:37 PM EST
"Reading this fantastical tale made me laugh away the Rogue and simply wish she would be Going."
Brendan is my new hero. :)
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