Not so funny after all.

I'll admit it. I checked out Going Rogue (Sarah Palin's autobiography) from the library because I thought it might be kind of a hoot. I don't know why, really. Something about her bright smiling face on the surreal cover just gives me the giggles. (And, on the inside cover, it notes that the book design is by "Got Moxie Design." This also strikes me as funny.)

But then I got to all of page 2, when she is sharing how her daughter Piper was shown in a poster used by the organization Alaska Right to Life, and I just got sad. Primarily because I started wondering why so many pro-life people are also so pro-war. It was too depressing a thought for words, and it was really a deeper philosophical question than I wanted dredged up during the reading of what I thought might be a pretty ridiculous political autobiography.

I did persevere for about forty more pages, but I don't have much to report other than a) it's standard political autobiographical fare, with, one can only guess, massive whitewashing of Palin's idyllic Alaskan childhood, and b) it's actually not the worst-written thing I've ever read, which was a bit surprising.

I'm going to return it now, so the next person in line can get it in a timely fashion. I hope they are a member of the Tea Party, otherwise paragraphs like this are just going to make them chuckle:

"One part of athletics I really appreciated was our local chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which I co-captained under the leadership of the Wasilla Warriors' wrestling coach, Mr. Foreman. At least sixty of us met in public school classrooms for Bible study and inspirational exchanges that motivated us to focus on hard work and excellence.* In those days, ACLU activists had not yet convinced young people that they were supposed to feel offended by other people's free exercise of religion." (p. 28.)

In other Palin news, Bookninja posted a link the other day to a story about her PAC purchasing numerous copies of this book (however many copies $63,000 gets you), and paying for her photography and book tour travels.

*Because Jesus was all about the "excellence." 

Comments

[sarah]

Well, and you know that her daughter Bristol's "consulting firm" has been "hired" by her mother's PAC - so that's how you get that PAC money into family hands.

[Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness)]

My grandpa tried to pass this book on to me at Christmas, but I turned him down. When I said I just wasn't that interested in Sarah Palin, and in fact didn't like her very much, he told me I had just been manipulated by the 6 o'clock news and what they wanted me to think of her. While I'm normally a fan of hearing stories straight from the source, the "massive whitewashing of Palin's idyllic Alaskan childhood" doesn't sound appealing at all. I'm impressed you tried though -- that's more than I can say for myself.

[Citizen Reader]

Sarah,
I didn't know that (about Bristol's consulting firm) and it probably shows how jaded I am about politics that that just makes me laugh too. Every time I see Levi Johnson I crack up too. What a tool.

Kim,
Well, in all fairness, I didn't really try. I don't like her and I was never going to like her, and as far as whitewashing, well, I suppose she didn't engage in any more of it than most politicians. (Like John Edwards--yikes.) I did learn that TV programs and sports events on TV were on a one-week delay to Alaska in the 1960s and early 70s, which seemed interesting. Doesn't it seem weird how not long ago that is, but how far we've come with "instant" access? I don't know if it's better, mind you, but it was interesting to think about.

[katharine]

Did you see the contest Slate had about her book? I believe it was a Madison woman that took top prize.
http://www.slate.com/id/2237261/
I see people watching FoxNews at the gym all the time and for some reason it inspires me to do a few more reps. Perhaps in preparation for a tea party revolt? Let's hope it doesn't get that far.

[sherry (nite swimming)]

You're a braver woman than I.

[Rachael]

Wow. Thanks for taking one for the team.

I gag a little inside whenever I have to place a hold on this for a patron,* Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Laura Ingraham, or any of the other "public intellectuals" the right is giving us these days. That goes for most books by or about politicians and talking heads, wherever they might fall on the political spectrum. It just burns more when it's the righties.

*Favorite request from the last presidential election was the cranky old man (80ish) who asked for the newest rightie book, then told me he'd NEVER vote for that Baccarat Obamer. I was surprised by my ability to NOT dissolve into giggles. We also have a group of Glenn Beck's 9-12 Patriots who've begun meeting here. You haven't seen history mangled until you've dealt with some of them...

[Venta]

I thought about getting on the library's list for this book. I'm not that interested in her upbringing, but like anyone with a rubber neck, I'm fascinated by what she has to say about the McCain camp and the campaign in general. Did you skim through any of that?

[Jessica]

Why are so many pro-life people also pro-war? We actually have a joke about this: "Life begins at conception... and ends at birth." All that love for the unborn fetus seems to stop once it becomes the infant of a poor family, the teenage boy in combat fatigues, the death row inmate, or, God forbid, a pig, cow, or chicken. I think they should just rename the pro-life movement "pro-birth." It would help explain why so many pro-lifers choose to have biological children rather than adopt.

Not sure why I find this hysterically funny, but I do! My husband and I joke all the time about "brand-name babies" - people's insistence on promulgating only their own DNA.

[Jessica]

I just realized I implied that an unborn fetus can become livestock. Oops.

[Citizen Reader]

Katharine,
That's awesome (the Slate contest). Evidently her writing was even worse than I noticed! Or I just have ridiculously low standards for politicians. The book is too long--which probably isn't helped by all her mixed metaphors and excessive descriptions.

Sherry,
Oh, not really. You'll notice I only lasted for about 50 pages.

Rachael,
God, your stories made me laugh. I wish I could say they made me miss working the public service desk, but....I can just picture the 9-12 Patriot meeting nights! I always totally got a charge out of watching the older gentlemens' eyes boggle when they picked up their Ann Coulter and Laura Ingraham books with the beautiful blondes on the cover, but often I was just so happy when people requested any books they knew the authors of (I really just loved reference questions I could actually answer) that I didn't really mind ordering the O'Reilly's and the political bios.

[Citizen Reader]

Venta, dear, I did not get that far, but just for you, I will keep the book a few more days and see what I can see. I kind of wanted to see what she had to say about young Bristol, as well.

Jessica,
Well, there's the conundrum. I am pro-life, but I happen to believe that means anit-abortion, anti-war, anti-death penalty. This is why I never really have anyone to vote for. (As a matter of fact, that's how I used to shut people up who thought I was wrong for not voting: "I'm anti-war and anti-abortion. How would you have me vote?") The few times I've gone to protests or rallies they've always been jarring to me, because it never seems like the same people are at the anti-abortion rallies AND the anti-war rallies. Mainly, as stated earlier, the whole problem just makes me tired.

[Venta]

i would love it if you took another one for the team and let us know if Palin's take on the campaign is worth reading her book ourselves.

[Jessi]

You are a braver lady than I am - I pretty much gag everytime I see the cover rather than giggle.

[bybee]

I saw the book in the used section of the bookstore and thumped the cover. Otherwise, I'd never touch it.

[Sarah]

Kim should have told her grandpa that he was brainwashed by the squareheads and the booby blondes on Faux News . . . throw it back! Even if he is her grandpa (actually, because he is . . .). My father knows that I know that he watches Glenn Beck "occasionally" - now I've got him back on the Daily Show as well (hope it works . . )

[Citizen Reader]

Jessi,
Yes, I can understand that reaction. I try to giggle in the face of ridiculousness but sometimes a gag is certainly warranted.

Bybee,
Ha! I loved the imagery of the thumping. Although at this point I am more inclined to thump anything with Warbama on the cover, but that's just me being bitter.

Sarah,
Okay, have you trademarked the "Fox Booby Blondes." Perfect. Yeah, Dads and Grandpas. Bless them, sometimes I think they just don't want their kids to have a big deficit to pay off. But whether that makes it okay to watch Glenn Beck, even tempered with Jon Stewart....I just don't know.

[Citizen Reader]

Okay, Venta, here is what I've learned in my second perusal:
1. Don't let your husband Mr. CR see what you are reading as he will be shocked and wonder aloud as to your sanity.
2. Re: the campaign. Okay, if you want to hear about the campaign, which for Palin lasted just a few months, there's ample material here. The section on campaigning lasts from page 209 to 343, and the rest is about the aftermath of the election. However, my honest opinion would be to skip this book if you're looking for real political details. There's a lot of this: My campaign staff had me completely locked down, wrote my statements for me, and wouldn't let me talk honestly to the American people like I wanted to. (Evidently she tried to change the statement given about Bristol's pregnancy announcement but her staff released their original, perkier announcement anyway. There's also a lot of this: they kept trying to get us to do our makeup and put us in fancy clothes, but we wrote everything down to make sure we could give it right back. And this: the Katie Couric interview was very meanly edited, and Palin hadn't wanted to do the interview, which was supposed to be all softball questions, anyway. And this: once she called a local Alaska radio station to talk with a reporter she knew, and then she handed the phone to McCain to say hi, and chat, which he did, but then she was berated for it. She didn't know why, because McCain's bus was called the "Straight Talk Express." And, also, all her debate study cards would list questions, and then non-answers, which made her mad, because she just wanted to answer the questions.

In short: "I'm a straight talker, but the political types ruined our campaign. McCain is a war hero, but he let himself be led by people who weren't normal patriotic straight-talking Americans like me."

Give it a pass, Venta. If you must read political books, I'm sure there's something better out there.

[Citizen Reader]

I do have to share my favorite part about the Couric interview though:

"Though Katie edited out substantive answers, she dutifully kept in the moments where I wore my annoyance on my sleeve. For instance, when she asked me how living in Alaska informed my foreign policy experience, I began by trying to frame the geographical context. Lower 48ers grow up seeing our state tucked with Hawaii in a little square off the coast of Mexico on the nightly news weather map. So I began by trying to squeeze a geographical primer into a ten-second sound bite, explaining that only a narrow maritime border separates Alaska from Russia, that we're very near the Pacific Rim countries, and that we're bordered by Canada." (p. 274.)

Holy cow! Alaska isn't actually down by Mexico and Hawaii? You learn something new every day.

[Rachael]

I'm the only person in my family who hates Fox News. Literally the ONLY one out of dozens of people. Sigh. I do a lot of biting my tongue.

I'm not particularly bothered by the hyperbole (Obama is satan? And a communist? And a fascist? And not an American? Really?). I can deal. Just don't lie. Politicians do enough ridiculous and dangerous and flat-out stupid things every day (all along the spectrum) that a real journalist wouldn't need to lie to tell a good story. Bah!