Time to bring in Sarah Palin

From The Hill: Time to bring in Sarah Palin
Michele Bachmann was a letdown from the first. She appeared as a Palin knockoff but proved herself to be merely provincial. Palin is not, nor is Rick Perry. Last year Palin, who defines herself as a “constitutional conservative,” said she would enter the race if no one else who expressed the rising geist of Tea Party values did. Perry does, and from the beginning it was Perry and Palin vs. the Establishment. But he needs to watch his back. And she needs to think about getting back in this as the Tea Party vote scurries around the margins without the unifying spirit she brought to it from the beginning; Herman Cain today, Michele Bachmann yesterday, Ron Paul the day before. Gary Johnson tomorrow. Without Sarah Palin, the Tea Party is separating out to a secondary political element with minor figures.

For the new conservative values to stabilize and advance, Palin might be a necessity. She is an archetypal figure, like John Lennon or Reagan; one that hits a primal chord in the psyche that brings awakening to some and horror to others. My guess right now is that 2012 will bring Perry/Romney, or Perry/someone else, but necessity could just as well make it Palin/Perry or Palin/someone else. And they need other helpers now; Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani. Time to commit.

A McClatchy-Marist poll last week found that Obama looks increasingly vulnerable in next year's election, with a majority of voters believing he'll lose to any Republican. The biggest gain came for Palin, the former Alaska governor who hasn't yet announced whether she'll jump into this fast-changing race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

The Grizzly Mama has the animal spirits and, as she has said, a “servant’s heart.” She will do the right thing. But without Perry or Palin in the White House in 2012, that which came in with the dust of the Tea Party in 2009 will be gone with the wind by 2012.

Joe McGinniss' book on Sarah Palin not among top sellers

From Chicago Tribune: Joe McGinniss' book on Sarah Palin not among top sellers
Joe McGinniss' scathing new work about former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may have lit up headlines, but it does not seem to have translated into hot sales.

Released on Tuesday, "The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin" sits at a modest No. 58 on the Amazon new releases list. It appears nowhere on the top 100 best-sellers list for Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Many critics panned McGinniss' book, researched after he moved in next door to the Palin family in Wasilla, Alaska, mostly because of its damning assertions about Palin and her family, many of which were attributed to unnamed sources.

When asked how the book was selling, Doris Blechman, assistant manager of Anderson's Bookshops in Naperville, gave a simple answer: "So far, it isn't."

Employees at other bookstores in the Chicago area echoed the response. Blechman mused that some people might not know that the volume is in stores. That seems unlikely, but Martine Moore of The Book Cellar in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood admitted that the book hadn't captured her attention.

"We don't even have it out on the front table," she said, noting that the store had sold only one of its five copies as of Friday.

Jason Smith, co-owner of The Book Table in Oak Park, theorized that "Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President" by Ron Suskind, released the same day, could have stolen some thunder from McGinniss' tome.

"I'm sure it will eventually do fine, but it's not quite the massive seller we had all expected it would be when he first moved next door," Smith said.

Next-door observations of Sarah Palin

From Miami Herald.com: Next-door observations of Sarah Palin
Joe McGinniss lived next door to the former Alaskan governor as part of his research of her.

By Beth Fouhy
This “investigative chronicle” of the former Alaska governor will be catnip for Palin haters hoping to see her discredited as a potential presidential candidate. But the gossipy tale provides little new information on its subject and draws too much of its material from unnamed sources or avowed Palin critics with axes to grind.

Joe McGinniss, a veteran journalist and author of several critically acclaimed political tomes, created a stir in 2010 when he moved into a rental property next door to the Palin home in Wasilla to conduct his research. His anecdotes about life as Palin’s unwanted neighbor are hilarious, riveting and the most enjoyable part of the book.

McGinniss paints a deeply unflattering portrait of Palin, casting her as ill-informed, coldblooded, narcissistic and vengeful. Others have offered a similar view of the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee, from John Heilemann and Mark Halperin’s bestselling Game Change to Levi Johnston, the former fiance of Palin’s eldest daughter, Bristol, who has given many interviews about the Palin family and whose own book about them comes out Tuesday.

McGinnis also throws in some new and prurient details, suggesting Palin and husband Todd used cocaine and that she booted a pair of house guests after finding baby oil in their bedroom.

“Todd says, ‘Sarah wants you out. She’s really upset thinkin’ you’re in there having sex with baby oil.’ We left. We went to a motel,” the unnamed guest told McGinniss.

McGinniss’ reliance on such unnamed sources and quotes weakens the book’s credibility. Too often, his most titillating or revealing material comes from mysterious people identified as “an old friend,” “a friend of Todd” or “a lawyer in Wasilla.” Most of those willing to be quoted by name are former Palin loyalists who have broken with her, including John Stein, whom Palin defeated in 1996 to become Wasilla mayor, and John Bitney, who helped steer her campaign for governor in 2006 but whom she later ousted as legislative director.

The most sensational passage in the book deals with Glen Rice, a former NBA basketball star whom McGinniss claims had a brief sexual relationship with Palin in 1987, before she and Todd were married. But Rice never fully confirms McGinniss’ story.

The book’s most serious chapters pertain to Palin’s record in Wasilla and later as governor. McGinniss debunks her image as a fiscal conservative, noting that she left Wasilla with almost $20 million in bonded debt when she left office and lobbied for millions in federal earmarks for the town and later the state — the kind of “pork barrel” spending conservatives typically deplore.

But McGinniss’ experience living next door to the Palins for five months offers the most telling portrait of Sarah Palin’s style and personality. McGinniss claims he merely took the house because it was one of few rental properties available in the area. He promised Todd Palin he would not spy on their family and would not publish anything he learned from living next door.

But Palin went to war nonetheless, trashing McGinniss on Fox News and posting on Facebook shortly after his arrival that he was an unwanted stalker “peering” at her and her children, including her then 9-year-old daughter, Piper.

Verne Rupright, who succeeded Palin as Wasilla mayor, offered McGinniss a handgun when the two sat for an interview and told him, “People around here don’t (care) about Sarah anymore. They’re burned out on all her drama.”

With his book so suffused with Palin drama, McGinniss had better hope that’s not an accurate assessment.

Beth Fouhy reviewed this book for The Associated Press.

Will Sarah Palin be the October surprise?

From The Christian Science Monitor: Will Sarah Palin be the October surprise?
One national poll shows Sarah Palin surging ahead of Rick Perry in a head to head matchup against Barack Obama. Will Sarah Palin announce her candidacy in time for the Florida primary deadline?
First, Joe McGinniss’s tell-all book about her was slammed by the mainstream media (those coming to Palin’s defense included the New York Times and even liberal antagonist Keith Olbermann).

Now, a new national poll shows her trailing President Obama in a head-to-head matchup by just 5 points, 44 to 49 - this, after she had trailed him by more than 20 points for most of the year. That’s better than current GOP frontrunner Rick Perry, who trails the president 41 to 50 in the same poll.

According to the survey, Palin’s recent jump in support has come mostly from independents, who have lately been abandoning the president in droves. Still, she remains a controversial figure: 72 percent of Republicans and independents in the same survey also said they don’t actually think Palin should run.

And that remains the question: will she or won’t she? Palin recently told Fox News that she thinks there’s “still time” for candidates to get into the race, and that she’s “still considering” it. She repeatedly said she believed it would be an “unconventional” election year.

Palin did acknowledge that there are deadlines looming to get on the ballot in certain primary and caucus states. (Florida, for example, has a deadline of Oct. 31.)

Still, a late entry isn’t necessarily insurmountable, particularly for candidates with high name recognition and easy access to cash. In 1995, self-funded candidate Steve Forbes waited until October to announce, and quickly became the strongest challenger to ultimate GOP nominee Bob Dole. Forbes made up for his lack of on-the-ground campaigning by blanketing the airwaves in early primary and caucus states with ads.

Palin may string everyone along for a while yet.

Gossip: Levi Johnston: Sarah Palin and Hubby Todd Had Separate Bedrooms!

My parents also have separate bedrooms. My mom snores! Big deal!

EOnline: Levi Johnston: Sarah Palin and Hubby Todd Had Separate Bedrooms!

Levi Johnston has become the permanent thorn in Sarah Palin's side—and he's not shutting his trap any time soon, especially with a tell-all book to promote.

After revealing that he thinks the former vice presidential candidate had a "cougar crush" on his much younger self, Johnston is now telling E! News that Sarah and her snowmobile-jockey husband, Todd, don't even sleep in the same bed.

In fact, Todd's been banished to the couch.

Say what?!

MORE: Bristol calls Levi a gnat

"Todd slept on a little black leather sofa, not even a comfy one! And Sarah always slept in the bed. Since I've known the family, that's how it's always been,"Johnston exclusively tells us.

Oh and he's not stopping there. Levi, who once tried to make amends with the Palins (and tells us Sarah used to refer to him as her "second son"), also says he's preparing to take baby mama Bristol to court because she is trying to prevent him from seeing their baby, Tripp, by taking the tyke out of the state.

"Oh yeah, you betcha," Levi says of going to court, mimicking Sarah's famous line before catching himself and quickly adding: "I probably shouldn't say that."

MORE: Levi takes back his apology
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Levi says he's legally supposd to see Tripp twice a week, but that Bristol "makes that impossible," and he's only seen his boy once in the past month. He doesn't like the idea that people see him as a deadbeat dad.

"I know that's what everyone says, the media, it's ridiculous what she says," Johnston says. "I didn't give Bristol's book the time of day."

He also tackles the touchy subject of Bristol's claims she was date-raped by him after a number of wine coolers and that he "stole" her virginity.

"We dated for several years and made love," he tells us. "For her to say something like that, that's just a road you should never go down.

"She was not drunk. I was buzzed...It's unbelievable. It takes two. I don't know what else to say."

Finally, he says he is still holding out hope that one of his reality-TV pitches will catch on so he can get some income to support his son. Failing that, he is also planning to start a tour-guide company with his dad and he wants to get his pilot's license.

"This is the truth," he tells us. "I just want to see my son."

Sarah Palin Can Play Democratic Strategist, Too

The Atlantic Wire: Sarah Palin Can Play Democratic Strategist, Too

Sarah Palin is advising Democrats to mount a primary challenge to President Obama in 2012, joining Dick Cheney and Ralph Nader as humble outside advisers with only the best interests of the Democratic Party at heart. Just kidding -- Nader wants to stay famous, Cheney wants to control the historical narrative of his controversial tenure as vice-president, and Palin wants people to at least think she's still running for president.

On Fox News Tuesday, Palin told Sean Hannity, "More and more Democrats are going to realize that if they want to retain the Democrat control of the White House they’re going to have to put somebody up in the primary against Obama." Palin's advice echoes Cheney's, who earlier this month urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run against her boss in 2012. "So far, she hasn't said she would, but I think it's not a bad idea," Cheney told ABC News. "And frankly, I thought she was gonna win the nomination last time around. Maybe if the Obama record is bad enough -- and these days it's not very good, given the shape of the economy -- maybe there will be enough ferment in the Democratic Party so that there will be a primary on their side." (Clinton responded that the chances she'd run against Obama are "below zero.")

Nader, meanwhile, is calling for a handful of Democrats to run against Obama -- not to beat him, but just to attack him for not living up to progressive ideals, which Nader says will somehow rally the base to his side in the general election. He also said Palin would make a good addition to the presidential race because she's started to rail against "crony capitalism" -- sounding like an anti-corporatists, Nader says, as in sounding like Nader.

And Palin reiterated those talking points Tuesday, saying the election would be about ousting people who'd "followedl ike sheep" behind Obama and his "crony capitalism and corporate welfare." Though she admitted time is running out before she runs into the first deadline to get on a primary ballot on October 31, of the current Republican lineup, Palin told Hanity, "I think people are still going to be coming and going because there is still time, and I’m still one of those still considering." When Hannity asked her thoughts on the current "top three" -- Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Michele Bachmann, Palin flinched ever so slightly. "Ron Paul may be in front of Michele Bachmann, according to certain polls. Shoot, I’ve seen my own name up there in the top three."

Modestly, Palin granted, "I dont know how legitimate the poll is that I just looked at that said that" -- but notice she said she "just looked at" the poll -- as if it were a current one, not the polls six months ago that put her on top. A new poll from McClatchy-Marist shows Palin 5 points behind Obama in a general election -- after polling 20 points behind him earlier this year. Pollsters attributed the decline to Obama's falling support among independents. As CNN's Paul Steinhauser notes, "The poll indicates that Palin now leads the president among crucial independent voters." Still, he adds, "By a 72 to 24 percent margin, Republicans and independents who lean toward the GOP do not want Palin to run for the White House."

Meanwhile, Obama still sees Palin as a helpful fundraising tool, Politico's Alexander Burns notes. He told fundraisers in New York Tuesday night, "All that 'hopey changey stuff,' as they say? That was real."

Levi Johnston on Sarah Palin: "She Had a Cougar Crush on Me!"

Someone please slap this guy! EOnline appears to believe him, but I'd be willing to bet a gazillion bucks he's lying just to get yet more publicity.

From EOnline: Levi Johnston on Sarah Palin: "She Had a Cougar Crush on Me!"

Well, that's kind of disturbing.

E! News caught up with Levi Johnston to talk about the release of his tell-all book, when he told us that now, looking back, it seems as though his ex-fiancée's mother, Sarah Palin, had the hots for him.

"Even growing up my friends would always say that [Palin would flirt with him], it seems kind of weird. Then one of my publishers said she had a cougar crush on me!"

MORE: Levi Johnston's Sister Goes Off on "Evil" Bristol Palin

"I guess I'd say, 'Yeah, I think she did.' Now looking back and remembering what everyone said. She never touched me or anything like that! Now it kind of weirds me out thinking about it," he says.

Well, it weirds us out, too.

The music-video star also tells us that his son with Bristol Palin was no accident and that the young Dancing With the Stars alum wanted to have a baby after her mother had Trig.

A planned teenage pregnancy?

"Bristol wanted to have a baby," he says, countering the Palins' version of what happened. "It all happened on purpose."

"I wasn't tricked into it…I kind of went with it," adds Johnston, adding that when he and Bristol briefly reconciled, they talked about having Baby No. 2.

So soon?

Explains Johnston: "She loves kids."