Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin shakes the hand of an
unidentified book buyer on Dec. 13, 2009. Palin was at
Elmendorf Air Force Base's Joint Military Mall for a signing
of her book, "Going Rogue" in Anchorage and Fairbanks on
the signing tour. An estimated 2,000 people showed up for
the signing. (AP Photo/ Rob Stapleton)
Sarah Palin who was criticized for stepping down as the Governor of Alaska has proved that "Going Rogue" can be great for a career. Hitting 33 cities in 25 states is not your usual book tour, but the best-selling author behind the book is not your typical author.
Since hitting newsstands Nov. 17, Going Rogue has spent three weeks at No. 1 on USA TODAY's best-seller list, matching the record for political memoirs, set by retired general Colin Powell in 1995. Publisher HarperCollins says it has gone back to the presses 13 times to keep up with demand and now has 2.8 million copies of Palin's book in print.
Despite losing the vice presidential candidacy, Sarah Palin turned a negative into a positive by publishing her memoirs and explaining, without a media spin, her take on a whirlwind rise to fame and time in the political spotlight.
The book tour has raised Palin's popularity to an all time high. Palin gave no interviews to local newspapers or television stations along the way, but it didn't stop the attention the tour received. When Palin did grant an interview, she took the media by storm. Palin boosted Oprah Winfrey's ratings by 68 percent, giving the show its best ratings in two years. And Palin recently put Tina Fey to shame in a brilliantly conceived skit on The Tonight Show that garnered much praise. The more she gets herself out there, it's obvious the more comfortable Palin gets in front of the camera.
When "The Audacity of Hope" was published in 2006, Barack Obama used it to his advantage appearing on magazine covers and talk shows. He sold 182,000 copies in the first three weeks. Palin's sales totaled 1 million copies just two weeks after publication. Palin must be well aware of her numbers and has used her Going Rogue book tour to do one of the most important things in politics--meet the people. And they've connected, one of the main reasons the media and the left fear Palin so much.
Jack Kelly of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says, "The book tour itself is a cultural phenomenon. At each stop hundreds, often thousands, of people have waited hours, sometimes days, to meet her. Could Barack Obama -- who now seems so last year -- inspire that kind of devotion today?"
On the tour, Palin also had the opportunity to connect with the military. Palin made stops at five military facilities, donated the royalties from her Fort Hood stop to the families hit by the Nov. 5 mass shooting, and donated the red jacket she wore on the book cover for conservative talk-show host Laura Ingraham's auction to benefit the wounded warriors.
Sarah Palin made a few stops along the book tour to speak, including her speech at The College of the Ozarks where she was presented the Great American Award. One of the most influential was her stop at the Gridiron Club, the biggest social event of the year for Washington journalists.
"The very fact she was willing to take the chance of appearing in a room full of her most disdainful critics is testimony to her courage," wrote Dan Thomasson of Scripps Howard. "She came away with at least a consensus of grudging admiration."
Not only did Palin grab the ears of her audience at the Gridiron Club, she also proved she has the ears of America. As debates on the economy, jobs, health care reform, government spending, terrorist trials, and climate-change are at an all time high, Palin has used her popularity to speak out on issues via her Facebook page and op-eds in the Washington post, her most recent dismissing the Copenhagen climate conference as a political stunt which became the 21st most read on The Washington Post's website this year. It's interesting to note how Americans and the media are still interested in what Palin has to say despite the fact she currently does not hold political office.
And of course we can't overlook the money. Palin earned a $7 million advance for the book and formed a political action committee this year, SarahPAC, that accepted donations from supporters along the tour. In an email to supporters, the former Alaska governor and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee was asking for $100 donations in exchange for a signed copy. Palin has stated that in next year's congressional and gubernatorial races, she'll be helping to fund candidates who share her "economically conservative principles" and "commitment to win the war against terrorists." SarahPAC won't file its next public accounting until January, but Palin aide Jason Recher reports "a significant uptick" in fundraising since the book tour began Nov. 18.
Elevated by a best-selling memoir, a highly publicized national book tour, and her bond with the Republican's grassroots, Palin has become a major figure in her Party's future. The book’s release and round of media interviews have reignited speculation over whether or not Palin will run in 2012. Her competition consists of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty who don't even come close to Palin's rock-star status.
Palin's book tour saw media criticizing every move, many arrows slung, and even tomatoes thrown, but the more she is attacked, the more the Republican base adores her. Love her or hate her, Palin has proved to be a major player in next year's elections and we'll just have to wait and see if this really was a book signing or a political strategy.
Comments
I bet Tiger would vote for Sarah.
Very inciteful. I agree. The book tour has boosted her favorables by 3-6 depending on which poll you look at. Her unfavorables, although still high, have conversely gone down.
This is step 1: erase the damage from the smear campaign of lies perpetuated in the media which started with AstroTurfing, led to the formation of the "Alaska bloggers" and which now dies a slow death now over on MSNBC between 7-10 pm est.
Step 2: The digestion. The American people will now get to hear stories and things about Sarah Palin that the media would not have covered had she been running for office. More and more will see her popularity from the book tour and give her a serious second look. Uncertain independents have to be thinking "there's gotta be something to this."
Step 3: Palin will show her political clout by campaigning for and supporting like minded candidates. She will score points as her candidates win. This should put her to 50% fav.
Step 4: Her own presidential run if she choses.
All you need to know about Palin's chances can be learned from the appearance with Shatner.
Lost in the surprise is that the timing was impeccable and indicative of a team much. much more media savvy than the group running the McCain campaign.
Consider, the President had given what is considered by many to be one of his finest speeches on the occasion of his acceptance of the Nobel Prize. As it turned out, the story's half life was 24 hours. Given on Wednesday it was made lackluster by Palin's appearance two nights later on the Tonight Show.
Things like that just don't happen. Somebody who REALLY knows how to time things made this happen. When you put that appearance into the context of the one-liners she's being given by someone ("I can see the Russian Embassy from my Hotel:, etc;) somehow Palin suddenly has a formidable team of handlers calling the shots. Could it be...let's see...ROGER AILES?
If it is it's going to be one heck of a ride.
I hope Sarah Could win the next election.
I'm not certain a 'Tiger' vote would be a good thing right now.
All I need to know about the heart of Sarah Palin is to see her holding Trig. It might be corny but it says a lot about her courage and kindness.
Ron says:
"All I need to know about the heart of Sarah Palin is to see her holding Trig. It might be corny but it says a lot about her courage and kindness."
WHAT??? only a billion other women have done exactly the same thing. how does THAT separate her in the "courage and kindess" category??? just how badly did your mother treat you that you don't know that mothers are SUPPOSED to hold their child.
Concerning a climate change issues, Who has become a more effective governor: Sarah or Arnold?? I say, Sarah.. at least, she was able to maintain jobs and budget surplus in state of Alaska. Arnold... this guy is a joke and full of talks.. take a look at California now.. I hope United States has already a time machine so that INS can put back Arnold to Austria.. This California governor is full of crap, he thought governing is just like acting in a movie. Anyway, did you watch the movie Terminator?? It was the same brave and courageous Sarah that he wants to terminate, but he failed.. the same thing that is happening now!!
I agree with the comments from raymond and the reagan man. Americans, wake up before it is too late to save America, or else we will all end up being enslave to labor by China, Venezuela or Iran. We must learn to elect politicians that can best serve the interest of the United States and the American people. I SAY, do not hire leaders who just talk and with nice rhetorics, let us hire political leaders that produce effective results. If we elect political leaders just for sake of their services without producing effective results is just a waste of money. ONE FINE SAMPLE IS ARNOLD THE TERMINATOR... ah yes, he had terminated the once glory of California into bankcruptcy!!! I hope this will serve a lesson to all Americans, especially the Californians.
So cool, author of The Question Behind the Question (www.QBQ.com), John G. Miller, won the auction of Sarah's Rogue jacket on Laura Ingraham's show/site! $57,000 now goes to our troops at Wounded Warriors and The Fisher House.
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question - I know that book. We use it at work. Good stuff. All about personal accountability. What a great way to raise money for injured vets! Thanks to John Miller!
Joseph Bondi is a nimrod troll.
Sarah Palin will not run in 2012, or ever. Despite her loony fans thinking her skit with Shatner proves otherwise. She is, however, going to get filthy rich over the next two years by keeping these dupes thinking that she will. That way they'll keep paying to hear her speak, send money to her PAC, send money to her "defense fund" and so on.
2012 is a long way off so anybody could pop-up before then. As long as Palin keeps this conservative upswing in this country moving, more power to her. You libtards really don't want to see Palin run anyhow do you? Conservatism is back and given obummer's arrogance, corruption, lies, and ineptitude, liberalism/socialism will finally be dead for good, thank God.
Walrus, it isn't nice of you to use the word "libtard." Please be civil.
Nuff Said, calling another commenter "a nimrod troll" isn't an effective way to counter someone else's point. Use reasoning and logic instead.
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