More than 1,000 cheer Palin in Michigan for book tour

Thursday 19th November, 11:48 AM JST

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan —

College students ditched class, employees skipped work and some huddled in the cold overnight just to make sure they get an orange wristband Wednesday that would let them meet Sarah Palin.

A line of more than a thousand people — some sporting Palin Power stickers and Palin T-shirts — moved slowly into a Barnes & Noble store Wednesday to see the former Republican vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor on the first stop of her “Going Rogue” book tour. During the hours they waited, some broke out in chants of “Palin! Palin! Palin!”

Scores more who couldn’t get wristbands awaited Palin’s arrival outside, braving the cold and yelling. “USA!” and “Sarah, Sarah!” at an event that took on the feel of a political pep rally.

“She’s a person of faith, she has a family, she has gone through a lot of the trials and tribulations we have. I’d vote for her in a heartbeat,” said Lana Smith, a dispatcher at a bus company who took the day off work and had been waiting in line since 5:30 a.m.

“Someday I hope her name is up in lights and I’ll have had the privilege of meeting her,” Smith said.

The song “Only in America,” a standard on George W Bush’s 2004 campaign stops, played as Palin’s tour bus, painted to resemble the cover of her book, pulled up to the Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids.

“I just can’t tell you how good it is to be back in Michigan,” the former Alaska governor said after getting off the bus carrying her youngest son, Trig. “Alaska and Michigan have so much in common, with the huntin’ and the fishin’ and the hockey moms, and just the hardworking, patriotic Americans who are here.”

Palin took time to shake hands with most of those whose books she signed, something 50-year-old Bill Buckner appreciated after Palin signed books for him and his 21-year-old daughter, Michelle.

“We are very, very honored that she came here. And coming to Grand Rapids as her No. 1 stop is even better,” said Buckner, who had gotten in line around 4:30 a.m.

The memoir was released Tuesday but has topped best-seller lists for weeks. At the Barnes & Noble, more than 1,000 orange wristbands were handed out, allowing wearers to get two copies autographed by Palin at the three-hour signing event.

Tom Maike got in line at 1 a.m. after driving the 90 minutes from his home in White Cloud. Wearing a button on his baseball cap that said, “Don’t blame me, I voted for Sarah,” Maike said he plans to keep one of his signed books for himself and will give the other to his sister or his daughter — “whichever one talks me out of it.”

Rachel Baragar, 72, praised Palin’s honesty and down-to-earth manner.

“She could be your next-door neighbor,” said Baragar, wearing a “Palin Power” bumper sticker across her red sweat shirt.

College students Megan Patzky of Racine, Wis., and Sarah Cranmer of Chicago waited in line overnight and skipped their Wednesday classes at nearby Calvin College to get an autograph. Patzky planned to give the signed book to her father for Christmas.

After standing in the cold all night, Patzky and Cranmer were happy to get into the mall around 6:15 a.m. “We were hoping that someone would start selling coffee, but nobody did,” Patzky joked.

“Going Rogue” follows Palin from childhood to her departure last summer as Alaska governor. The title refers to her independent streak as a candidate, stemming from complaints within the campaign of GOP presidential nominee John McCain that she had gone “rogue” by disagreeing with the campaign’s decision to pull out of Michigan last October.

McCain halted his campaign in the state after internal polls showed Obama approaching a double-digit lead. Palin publicly disagreed with the move and said she’d “sure love to get to run to Michigan” to make sure residents know the Republicans had not given up in the state.

Before the pullout, Palin had campaigned with McCain in Grand Rapids and the Detroit suburb of Sterling Heights. Her three-week book tour is expected to largely mirror the 2008 race with stops in cities such as Noblesville, Ind; Washington, Pa., and Rochester, NY.

Many of those waiting at the Michigan bookstore said they would vote for Palin if she decides to run for president in 2012.

“I believe she’s a good, strong person to do the things we need to do in this country,” said David Zak, 70, who drove about two hours out of his way on his way from Wisconsin to his home in southeast Michigan to see Palin. “I like her Christian philosophy. I like that she’s pro-life. I believe she can do what needs to be done to get ahead.”

___

Associated Press Writer James Prichard contributed to this report.

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Latest 15 of 157 Total Comments Show All

Sarge at 12:18 PM JST - 24th November

In her book, Palin says the McCain campaign spent $50,000 to investigate her before he chose her as his runnning mate. When McCain heard this, he said, "We should have spent $75,000."
Hee hee, that one tickled my funny bone!
Wolfpack at 01:18 AM JST - 25th November

seijichuudo9sha: I cant believe this story got even ten responses. Palin is irrelevant. Irrelevant.Irrelevant.Irrelevant.Irrelevant.

The reason why there are so many comments about Palin is due to the hatred that the Left feels for her. They see any prominent woman who doesn't agree with them as a threat that must be destroyed. It's the same irrationale fear that generated so much vitriole for Clarence Thomas.

In the Liberal mind, a successful career woman cannot have traditional values. She cannot believe that abortion is a serious moral issue. She cannot believe in individual freedom and liberty. For this reason, Palin has garnered millions of supporters that are repulsed by such hatred for someone that has the same world-view as themselves. Liberals do not like it when someone that is supposed to be on their side dare to think differently from them. They can't understand why a working woman like Palin can be a Conservative - they just can't comprehend it.
futurebeast at 01:26 AM JST - 25th November

Palin is a moron. The media is trying to set her up as the next president. likely because she is a complete moron.
tigermoth at 03:18 AM JST - 25th November

Yes, she knows how to get the birthers, wackos, teabaggers, and other knuckle-draggers -- aka Republicans without much cash -- to show up and throw what few dollars they have her way.

Ah, Yabits my friend you crack me up. So now anyone who is a Republican without financial means up to your level is stupid. Is that the mindset of most of the liberal faux intelligensia these days? Reminds me of one of my university suitemates. Great guy; became fiercely liberal, smoked a lot of weed and then started smoking a pipe and talking about how much he adored 'fine wine'. He's a social worker now; noble in his own way - but smart? That would be a great stretch. My point? I have friends that are liberal that are brilliant, and friends that are liberal that are morons. Conversely, I have friends that are conservative that are brilliant, and others that are indeed your knuckle dragging morons. Same with the independents/in-betweeners. I just don't buy into the 'we're brighter that you' nonsense. It's self-serving and hypocritical of the liberal mob - not to mention contrary to your basic believe system I should think - to assume any air of superiority. A great portion of the democratic party is poor - does that make them stupid as well? Or do you suppose that somehow the indigent masses are more intelligent based upon a lever they flick in an election booth? Don't answer - I already know your reply.
tigermoth at 03:20 AM JST - 25th November

belief system - sorry, had better check my spelling so as not to be categorized!
SebastianFlyte at 12:42 PM JST - 25th November

The republican party is full of morons, Palin is just one of them. In a country that could elect an imbecile like Bush for two terms anything is possible. The republicans tend to be nothing short of criminal and ought to be outlawed. Palin as president would ensure USA isolation.
Joe5000 at 12:51 PM JST - 25th November

I don't know whats up with all the Michigan being a super conservative state. I use to live there.. well I'll be honest I wanted to move from there for the longest time I'm note defending it for other reasons .....anyways you all realize Michigan voted for Obama right? Palin would never stand a chance getting a vote from there.
TheQuestion at 01:35 PM JST - 25th November

I don't know whats up with all the Michigan being a super conservative state.

It's mostly been conservative democrates winning elections lately. But due to mounting disatisfaction with elected officials and what can only be described as pure vitriol for Governor Grandholm. While I wouldn't go so far as to support Palin I can understand that frustration may lead some people to do peculiar things.
mtimjones at 03:20 PM JST - 25th November

The left's hate for Sarah Palin is interesting. They were so exuberant with their fearless leader, Obama, but then he turned out to be worse than an empty suit. I continue to find it interesting to watch the left, with all of their failed policies, go after a women who speaks her mind. I guess the left is a group of misogynists after all.
featherhead at 04:48 PM JST - 25th November

She can write? Those cheering can't read. What's she doing????
CoolCali at 09:40 PM JST - 25th November

The reason why there are so many comments about Palin is due to the hatred that the Left feels for her. They see any prominent woman who doesn't agree with them as a threat that must be destroyed. It's the same irrationale fear that generated so much vitriole for Clarence Thomas.

You couldn't be more wrong, but what do you expect from someone who voted for Bush.

No the reason most rational people despise Palin, and it's not just the left, is because she is an even less qualified idiot than Bush was. 8 years of international embarrassment was enough.

I hate to smack down an unarmed person in a battle of wits, but please use a spell checker. The words are "irrational" and "vitriol."
TheDonald at 05:25 AM JST - 26th November

Question for all the Palin haters:

Did you think John Kerry's vice presidential running mate John Edwards was a good choice? Yeah? Then how come y'all can be considered to be qualified to judge Sarah Palin?

Because she's an idiot. Very simply. This is a content-of-character judgment. Not more. Not less.

And also because John McCain picked her purely to pander American women into voting for him. Because she is a woman. Because Hilary lost and he thought he could rake in all the butt-hurt feminist voters who really wished for a Madame president, this time around. Any woman with active brain cells should have seen right through this & been capitally insulted by the gesture.

She makes no sense whatsoever, accept for when she stands there. In those cruel and unusual moments between the opening and closing of her mouth (accept maybe for Todd Palin..), migraines activate, Jesus cries, small children also cry. And veteran reporters punished by being assigned to listen to it.. contemplate suicide.

If you can listen to her speak and not suffer from either an aneurysm, or a fit of nonsense-induced rage.. then not only do you deserve a medal but I wish to know where you acquired your vaccination.

If you can listen to her a glean from it a coherent expression of coherent, original and/or factual thought, then I demand to know which Rosetta Stone volume showed you the way.
Harry_Gatto at 11:47 AM JST - 26th November

One reliable way to assess people is by the names they choose for their children, the Palins and the Heenes being good examples.
yabits at 10:25 PM JST - 26th November

So now anyone who is a Republican without financial means up to your level is stupid.

I notice how you took my description of "teabaggers" and other types who drool over Palin to make it somehow to apply to all Republicans, or even an entire class of Republicans whose annual income is below that of the average American.

A great portion of the democratic party is poor - does that make them stupid as well? Or do you suppose that somehow the indigent masses are more intelligent based upon a lever they flick in an election booth?

Is a chicken who votes for Col. Sanders stupid? Since I believe that a vote for self-destruction (as opposed to sustainability) is a vote for stupidity, I say "yes." You obviously feel differently. A poor person who rejects Palin has something on the ball.
victimcrat at 11:00 PM JST - 26th November

She makes no sense whatsoever, accept for when she stands there. In those cruel and unusual moments between the opening and closing of her mouth (accept maybe for Todd Palin..), migraines activate, Jesus cries, small children also cry. And veteran reporters punished by being assigned to listen to it.. contemplate suicide. If you can listen to her speak and not suffer from either an aneurysm, or a fit of nonsense-induced rage.. then not only do you deserve a medal but I wish to know where you acquired your vaccination.

Are you recommending she get a teleprompter??