Sarah Palin Takes Advantage of the Promotion of Her Book to Make a Political Comeback

It was only supposed to be a promotional literary tour, but the U.S. media once again became passionate about Sarah Palin and her book, in which she gives her version of the 2008 presidential campaign. From Newsweek, where she appears on the cover wearing her work-out shorts, to the Oprah Winfrey show on CBS, John McCain’s former running mate leads everyone to ask the same questions: Why so much passion? Does she have a political future or merely a future in the media? Is she hurting or benefiting the Republican party?

Even before the book’s official release on Tuesday, November 17, it was listed at the top of the sales chart on Amazon.com. The editor, HarperCollins, made a $1.25 million advance payment. Sarah Palin has this “quality that every politician wishes to have,” says the Republican senator from Tennessee, Lamar Alexander. “She sparks interest.”

The title, Going Rogue: An American Life, can be interpreted as a warning and translated as “On the path to rebellion,” or “About to go maverick.” The expression was first used in October 2008 by members of John McCain’s close circle, who were complaining that his running mate always did as she pleased. This time, she is the one doing the blaming, insisting that the McCain camp tried to dictate her answers, her outfits and even her meals.

A year away from the 2010 legislative race, Sarah Palin is starting a tour for the promotion of her book that will take her to the heart of the conservative base in rural areas of the country, while carefully avoiding the east and west coasts, which are traditionally Democratic.

She will travel by bus and intends to present herself as the champion of the “return of common sense.” Her celebrity status allows her to collect funds for the party, which will undoubtedly help her make friends. On Monday, she sent an e-mail offering a signed copy of her book to whoever would give $100 to the Republican Governors Association.

The former governor of Alaska insists that a bid for the 2012 presidential election is “not in her radar,” but the Republican headquarters is still paying close attention to her promotional tour. The party is torn between a moderate wing and a loud but poorly-organized radical minority.

By supporting a radical candidate against the moderate endorsed by the party during a partial election on November 3 in the state of New York, Sarah Palin demonstrated that she had chosen “rebellion,” a camp the party will have to take into account when the time comes to decide the next presidential candidate.

According to a poll on ABC News-Washington, 52 percent of Americans have a negative opinion of Sarah Palin (60 percent find her incompetent), but 76 percent of Republicans approve of her. For Republican Newt Gingrich, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, the former Republican running mate must now prove that she can offer valid arguments, as opposed to simple anecdotes. “If she starts developing a sophisticated message and people start to think that there is more to her than they originally thought, then she will succeed,” he says. She will be the party’s candidate of choice.

For the time being, in “Going Rogue,” the media found passages straight out of Alaska, which they particularly enjoyed. The fact, for example, that Sarah “loves meat,” pork and caribou, and that she often reminds visitors there is a welcoming place for mammals in Alaska,”right next to the mashed potatoes.”