The Redhunter

Book Review

Palin's style of writing is somewhat folksy and colloquial, but not so much as to be off putting. Admirers will like it, detractors will not. Either way, it's decidedly Palin writing the words.

Any book written by anyone who has taken the criticism she has will be tempted to grow bitter and use their autobiography to lash out. Palin does settle a few scores, but they're more interspersed with narrative about events, not the main focus of the book itself. This refusal to become sullen and angry is I think one reason why some people hate her so; no matter how much abuse they heap on her she remains cheerful and perky. This attitude comes across in her book.

The book is marred by the lack of an index. This is odd, and makes it somewhat more difficult to find specifics. As I read a book I leave stickies at important points, but only because I know I'm going to write a review of it here on this blog. Few political books of this sort have footnotes, and this one is no exception.

Cleaning Up Alaska

Sarah Palin challenged a sitting mayor and a sitting Republican governor and beat both of them. She took on a corrupt Alaska Oil and Gas conservation Commission (AOGCC) that was in bed with big oil and forced out a commissioner who was also tghe chairman of the Alaska Republican Party. When she became governor she told the "Corrupt Bastards Club" that it was no longer business as usual, and got her way with reforms. Each time she took on an establishment that had grown too comfortable in power, often become corrupt as well.

Vindication came with the many FBI arrests of lawmakers of both parties. There was much corruption in the Alaska legislature, and their misdeeds eventually caught up with them. Also arrested was Governor Frank Murkowski's chief of staff, and executives of VECO, an oil field services company.

As governor, Palin spearheaded efforts that gave the people of Alaska a better deal on their own resources. A program called "Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share" (ACES) split the profits more equitably. She also forced ExxonMobile to drill at Point Thomson, a lease they had been sitting on for decades as an "investment". Another initiative, the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), was negotiated in public, much against the wishes of the political establishment and the oil companies. The result was transparency and a better deal for Alaskans.

This was a time in which the Democrats cheered her.

Obviously she made some enemies along the way. A fiscal conservative, she actually went through the state budget line by line, questioning each project, quite unlike her predecessors. Cutting pet projects will earn enmity quickly.

For that matter, just being in politics will earn you enemies. Anyone who thinks that small towns are Mayberry R.F.D. has never been involved. Having no small amount of experience observing and participating in local politics, I assure you it can be some of the most mean and nasty you can imagine. It was only predictable, therefore, that when she went to the national stage some of it followed her.

Inevitably someone will also allege ethics violations. Those who themselves investigate and have others removed over ethics and legal matters are perhaps the most vulnerable to investigation, for what more could the convicted want than to know that their tormentor suffered the same fate?

Trig Palin

Of all the bizarro slanders thrown at Sarah Palin, one of wildest is that she is not the mother of her youngest son, Trig Palin. No less than Andrew Sullivan, uber-blogger and one-time editor of The New Republic, is absolutely convinced of this "birther" conspiracy theory.

As the theory has it, her oldest daughter, Bristol, had Trig, and Sarah only said she did to cover up for her daughter, who would have been 17 or 18 when Trig was born.

Palin describes the thrill of learning that she was pregnant with their fifth child, then the trauma of learning that he would have Down syndrome. She was 44 years old, and the pregnancy was unexpected. She first learned of it while at an oil and gas conference in New Orleans. She did her own self-test, and describes her reaction:

And for a split second it hit me: I'm out of town. No one knows I'm pregnant. No one would ever have to know.

it was a fleeting thought, a sudden understanding of why many women feel pressured to make the "problem" go away. Sad, I thought, that our society has elevated things like education and career above the gift of bringing new life into the world. Yes, the timing of this pregnancy wasn't ideal. but that wasn't the baby's fault. I know, though, what goes through a woman's mind when she finds herself in a difficult situation. At that moment, I was thankful for right-to-life groups that affirm the value of the child. That said, yes, every child as value and a purpose and a destiny.

The point, she says, is that given the cultural pressure to abort, without the right-to-life groups women would wonder if they were the only ones who thought that "believing what's easiest isn't always what's best."

Despite the caricature her critics have painted of her, Sarah Palin knows what pressure so many pregnant women are under. And as with many, it was her faith in God that got her through this difficult period.

Trig birth made five Palin children; Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, andTrig.

Todd Palin

Do you know anyone who races snowmobiles at up to 120 mph 2,200 miles across frozen tundra in minus 40 degree weather, making their own repairs along the way in something called an Iron Dog race? And who has won it four times?

Neither do I.

The Campaign

Anthough this is not a "blame book," one person in the that comes in for criticism is senior campaign strategist and advisor. He is not, however, portrayed uniformly negatively. During the 2004 campaign it was Schmidt who noted that John Kerry had mentioned a "global test" during the first debate and who made the decision to go all out in using that phrase against him. Palin respected his abilities.

The vice-presidential campaign (the "B Team" as they called it) was run by Andrew Smith, a Wall Street guy who had no previous campaign experience. Palin didn't question the choice because she figured they were the pros and must know what they were doing.

There were, however, points of contention between the B Team and "headquarters," the group that surrounded John McCain. The first issue was the refusal to let Palin talk to the press, much less go on an interview after the convention. She wanted to do Fox News, radio talk shows, or at least be able to speak to her familiar Alaska press reporters. Headquarters, however, had other ideas. They assured her that Katie Couric, of all people, would be nice to her and only toss softballs. We all know how bad an idea that turned out to be, and Palin admits that she did poorly.

"Headquarters says..." became somewhat of a joke on the vice presidential campaign bus, partially because names were rarely attached to it's decisions.

The worst part of the campaign leadership was that they did little to prepare Palin for what would follow. This can be an argument for choosing someone with national seasoning, like the Obama campaign did with Joe Biden, but picking a Washington insider has it's downsides as well. Choosing Sarah Palin was an inspired choice, I believe, but by the same token they should have realized she was a relative novice who needed more preparation.

In Alaska, as probably in all state campaigns, the candidate dresses him or herself with their own clothes(maybe with advice from a pro), might have a speechwriter but generally writes most of his or her own speeches. Not so with national campaigns, and the degree of "packaging" involved surprised Palin. The entire controversy over her wardrobe was a case in point. Campaign pros presented her and her family with racks of clothing and said "this is what you are going to wear." Again, she figured they were the pros and must know what they were doing. Never did it occur that critics would make a controversy out of it, especially since Democrats no doubt did the same thing. Of course, when the campaign was over, the Palins gave back every single item.

Nowhere in the book does Palin make any criticism of John McCain. No doubt part of this is just being politically astute, but also reflects that McCain didn't criticize her after the campaign either.

Discouraging Moments

Palin knew that Bristol's pregnancy would eventually become public, but the leak itself came as a surprise, as she had wanted to announce it before the press got wind of it. "Oh God," she thought. "Here we go." Even so, she still wanted to address the issue in her own words. No go, headquarters sent out a statement without even running it by her, and it wasn't at all the message she wanted to convey. Palin wanted to say they were proud of Bristol's decision to have the child and not abort, but the message the campaign drafted made it sound like she endorse teenage pregnancy.

The entire notion that Palin was some sort of "diva," a modern version of the Beverly hillbillies living high on the hog while campaigning, was also frustrating.

The worst moment, though, came when she learned that the email accounts of her and her family had been hacked and their private messages were posted on the Internet for all to see. "What type of a creep would break into a person's files.. then give them to the press...and what kind of responsible press outfit would broadcast stolen private correspondence?" The liberal type, of course.

Uplifting Moments

The fact is that Sarah Palin was the superstar of the Republican ticket, not John McCain. I know this both from personal experience at the grassroots level, communications with other activists, and my reading of the conservative press. Most conservatives were either campaigning for Sarah Palin or against Barack Obama. Few were in it for John McCain. This became clear in the higher-than-expected turnout at her rallies.

As such, the most encouraging times were when the campaign would plan for one number and a far larger amount of people would show up. She tells of one rally at a retirement community called Thhe Villages, near Lady Lake Florida, where they planned for 10-12,000 and 50-60,000. Also, a large number of special needs children would be present, and she would make a special effort to see them.

Th "Joe the Plumber" and "Tito the Builder" phenomenons also were encouraging, in that they represented average people who didn't buy into the media spin about Obama or his idea of "spreading it (other people's money) around."

Senator Joe Lieberman also came and saw here, and gave her the best advice anyone could; "be yourself." "Don't let these people (campaign staff) try to change you. Don't let them tell you what to say and how to think."

The debate with Joe Biden also went well. Palin didn't have to win, just hold her own. And that she certainly did.

Going Rogue

The "going rogue" reference is to doing things not approved by the mysterious headquarters. The first instance was when the McCain campaign pulled out of Michigan, and she told Fox News reporter Carl fCameron that she wished they weren't pulling out of the state. For reasons not entirely clear to Palin (or me), this became a big deal to the higher-ups.

The second instance was when she addressed the wardrobe issue directly at a rally in Tampa. Elisabeth Hasselbeck had introduced her, and told the crowd that the fixation on her wardrobe was "deliberately sexist." Following up, Palin made a few simple statements about how she wasn't going to keep any of the clothes or accessories supplied to her by the campaign. Apparently even this, though, was too much for headquarters.

Under the Bus

It became clear towards the end of the campaign that a few staffers were planning on throwing Sarah Palin under the proverbial bus. No doubt many losing campaigns result in a circular firing squad, but as discussed below it's hard to imagine a scenario in which any combination of GOP candidates could have won in 2008. And given that McCain was not liked at all by the conservative base of the party (again, see below), the idea that Palin was the reason they lost is preposterous.

Even if it were so, it is at the least poor form to engage in such backstabbing. And it was clear that someone high in the campaign was talking privately to the press with the intent of damaging Sarah Palin.

And indeed the night of their loss, she and Todd were warned by sympathetic reporters that "It's going to get really, really bad tomorrow." Their predictions were correct; the lies and misrepresentations started immediately.

Not only that, but as with during the campaign many media outlets devoted an inordinate amount of time to investigating her, her family, friends, even intercepting and "interviewing" Piper, her 7 year old daughter. Even David Letterman got into the act with some of the most tasteless comments ever recorded on TV. This from the same media who couldn't be bothered to look into Barack Obama's preacher or discover John Edwards extramarital affair.

Sarah Palin in Leesburg Virginia

One of the thrills of my life was to have been able to attend the Palin campaign rally in Leesburg VA on October 27, 2008. Better, I got my place early and was maybe 40 or 50 feet from the stage.

There is an excitement to being at one of these events that if you've never experienced one is perhaps hard to understand. In a way it's like a sporting event; when the rest of the crowd goes wild over a play the emotion is infectious whether you really care about the teams or not. And just being close to famous people is a thrill in itself, no matter how sober-minded you are otherwise. It's not a matter of my thinking Sarah Palin is the end-all-to-be-all, it was just fun to be at the rally and especially when I managed to get relatively close to the stage.

Here are some of the photos from my post on the rally.Unfortunately, my cheap and somewhat old digital camera doesn't do the event justice.

Campaign Post-Mortem

Some critics say that Palin sank McCain's campaign. The argument seems to go "they lost, so Palin must have been the reason." The problem with this is that one can also say that McCain would have done worse without Palin also. My own experience on the ground was that Republican activists were only working as hard as they did because Sarah Palin was on the ticket, or because they didn't like Barack Obama. Although this evidence is anecdotal, at no point did I ever hear anyone say they were working for John McCain.

So if anything could have helped the ticket, it would have been someone else at the top of the ticket. Of course, everyone in the field during the primary had their downside, though it was my contention at the time, and still my thought, that Mitt Romney would have done better.

And indeed 2008 was the "perfect storm" against Republicans. We had an unpopular president of our own party in the White House, a war-weary public eager to move to other issues, a Republican party in general discredited by many of it's members of congress, an economy that was turning down at just the wrong time, bad behavior by many on Wall Street (who are reflexively tied to the GOP), and an unusually charismatic opponent. It is doubtful that any Republican ticket could have won.

Resignation as Governor

On July 3, 2009, Sarah Palin announced her decision to resign as governor. She made the decision because leftist haters had deliberately tied up her office with thousands upon thousands of FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) "fishing expedition" requests. These malicious requests had three purposes; one, to find dirt, to paralyze the governors office, and to bankrupt Sarah Palin. The way Alaska law works, the governor most pay for most legal fees that involve alleged ethics violations out of his or her own pocket. This, obviously, is a recipe for abuse.

Palin details some of the FOIA requests and how bad it got, and it's hard not to be sympathetic. Most, if not all, of the ethics complaints were completely frivolous. My understanding is that all have been investigated and dismissed. Given the incredible levels of abuse thrown at her, and the determined attempt to paralyze her as governor, I don't blame her for resigning.

No I am not against the Freedom of Information Act. I support it fully. What I do not like is when people abuse it to simply dig for dirt; see my own story below.

Review Conclusions

The most honest political book I have ever read was Dan Quayle's autobiography, Standing Firm. Quayle pulls no punches on himself, and recognizes fully why he was viewed the way he was, especially during the campaign of 1988. A thoroughly decent person, he too may have been in over his head, but as with Palin, he isn't bitter or withdrawn, and didn't use his book to lash out at critics. As with Palin, he does blame campaign staff ("handlers," he calls them) for overly insulating and scripting him to the point where the press saw the candidate as incompetent and unable to stand on his or her own. When this happens, insulating becomes counterproductive.

Like almost all autobiographies, Palin writes to put herself in the best light. Some will therefore no doubt object to the very concept of this book, or that I should review it, saying that I should instead consult a more "balanced" assessment. By this logic one should not read or review any autobiography, at least not without reading those allegedly balanced assessments. Autobiographies are valuable though in that they provide insight into how that person thinks and views events unfiltered through another person.

In the end, I think Palin was over her head as a candidate for vice president. Running for mayor, let along governor, of even a small state is harder and puts you under more pressure than most people think (I've been close to more than a few elections). But the national stage is on a different plane entirely. I don't think she knew what she was getting herself into, or that she was ready for such a role.

Straight up, I am an admirer of Sarah Palin. This does not go anywhere near as far as hero-worship, or idolization, as with the cult-like following surrounding Barack Obama. Part of the reason I like her is that "all the right people hate her;" the liberal urban elites, the arts and croissants crowd, and those who talk about "flyover country."

Yes I am aware that Palin has her own ardent following, some of whom refuse to acknowledge that she might not be perfect. It's hardly the same, though, as the situation with Obama.

Had she spent more time as governor, perhaps been in a second term, she would have done better as a national candidate.

Also, I don't think that Palin was ready to be president, if something should have happened to John McCain. But before liberals chortle over that, Joe Biden is less ready today to be president than Sarah Palin was during the campaign. Between the two of them I'd choose Palin hands down. She's smarter, she's not the walking gaff machine he is, and her political instincts and philosophy are right.

Her decision to step down as governor probably takes her out of contention as a politician. No matter how justified, the label "quitter" will always be thrown at her.

I myself have been "FOIA'ed" by someone looking for dirt on me. I sit on a town commission, and long story short he sent in a request for no other reason than to try and find something he could use against my mom. Both my mom and him live in a different town, so this just goes to show how far some people will go. He even sent a letter to my mayor in an attempt to get me thrown off the board (which she promptly trashed), so I have a small idea as to what Palin was up against.

There are many reasons why she is disliked by liberals, some legitimate but many not. If you want to say she's unqualified or not up to the job of being president, fine, that's legitimate. But all too often talk about Palin, as with any attractive conservative woman, turns vulgar. Leftists seem to think it perfectly ok to make blatantly sexist comments about her that would not for an instant be tolerated were they made against liberal icons like Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton, or Michelle Obama.

Sarah Palin's Future

Sarah Palin should continue doing just what she's doing now; acting as pundit and conscience of the Republican party and conservative movement. Her role in cleaning up both the Alaskan Republican Party and government make her perfectly suited for the role. We've gotten rid of many of our bad/corrupt/insider-politics Republicans, but we've still got a ways to go. If Sarah Palin says one of our own has got to go, I wouldn't give a nickle for his chances of sticking it out.

The Republican party also very much needs to bring the Tea Party people into it's fold, and here too I think she can play a constructive role. She's both outside-the-beltway, but with national political experience. Within the conservative movement she's admired by the populist Tea Party and feared by the inside-the-beltway establishment types.

Sarah Palin can play an important role in the future of the Republican Party and conservative movement. As of this writing I do not think she should run for president in 2012. For various reasons, her polling negatives are high enough to where she's just too controversial. She is best suited to the role of pundit and conscience of the Republican party and conservative movement, and I look forward to her influence in this role.