Meeting Sarah

Some of you know I spent the last few days reading Sarah Palin's autobiography. I was inspired to pick it up while still on vacation, when my family was sitting in our hotel room one night after a fun but tiring day at Universal - while channel surfing, my mom hit Sarah Palin's Alaska, her reality show on TLC. She chose to watch what turned out to be several episodes in a row, and I, who had been looking for something new to read, decided that upon our return home I would check out Going Rogue: An American Life.


Going Rogue is called Palin's autobiography, but is really a chapter of her family history followed by five chapters following her political journey in the last fifteen or so years and a chapter strictly pushing her politics in a way that clearly shows she assumes anyone reading her book agrees with her. I, of course, don't, pretty much at all. Truthfully, before reading her book, I pretty much hated her. Or at least I thought she was an idiot, and I'm not a big fan of idiots.

Reading Palin's book didn't change my mind about her politics or politics, but I do have a newfound sense of respect for the ex-governor. While I don't want to see her as president, I think she probably was really good for Alaska and hopefully will continue to be. In some ways, I think she is "so Alaska" as she seems to be trying to prove herself to be, that her policies and politics don't fit the rest of the country. Though I know she was often treated unfairly by the media, I don't think she has the experience with national politics to speak for the entire country. I appreciate her drive to do what she believes is best for her country. But I'm not sure that she realizes that what's best for Alaska isn't always what's best for the country, just as she knows the opposite to be true.

While Going Rogue is littered throughout with politics I staunchly disagree with, I got through the 400 pages in four days. I knew reading the book would be an interesting intellectual experiment, but I hadn't thought about the social experiment of carrying around a book with possibly the most famous female Republican on the cover. I tend to travel in rather liberal circles. In fact, when I was at my Unitarian Universalist church on Sunday, I mostly kept the book in my purse. I found just holding the book I felt a sense of guilt by association. Just as Sarah figured her readers agreed with her, I thought people would think I agreed with her, and I certainly didn't want to deal with that misunderstanding, for some reason.

I've been interested in politics for a long time. When Palin talked about previous elections, I remembered caring about them. Of course it mattered in 2004, when I couldn't stand the thought of four more Bush-years, but then I realized at that time Kerry was his opponent. It kind of surprised me yesterday to remember how vividly I remember the 2000 election and how desperately I wanted Al Gore to win. I was ten years old, in fifth grade. I voted for Al Gore in my elementary school's simulated election, and was very curious about what hanging chads were, and why Florida couldn't get its act together. For a while in high school I thought about majoring in international relations, combining my love of politics, cultures, and languages. I think I know now that I don't have the patience necessary for politics, but I still pay attention.

Sarah Palin's Alaska is an interesting campaign strategy, I think. I kind of wonder if people in politics can do anything without it being seen as political. I can't watch her show without thinking she's using it as a ploy to show herself and her family as an all-American picture of perfection. She loves her kids and the outdoors and perhaps most importantly, AMERICA. Look at how much we love Alaska, the biggest part of America. We are so Alaskan and we love it.

Well I take everything she says with several grains of salt, but she is certainly an interesting woman. I'm already keeping my eye out for the 2012 primary races to start, if they're following the 2008 schedule at all. (Yeah, remember in 2007 when each party had about ten presidential candidates, including Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, and Rudy Guiliani, and John Edwards, Bill Richardson, and Dennis Kucinich?!) It's not too soon for the madness to start.

Sarah might have gotten to me a little though. Today I took my dog for a run even though it's in the 20s outside. I don't like running or the cold, but Sarah sure loves running, even in early Alaskan winter (so... September). Well, I still don't like running or winter, so I think my democratic tendencies are probably still safe, too.