The Sarah Palin Storm Begins: Will Her Book Bring Her Back?

16 Nov, 2009 by Melissa Clouthier

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The jealous ovary hater Andrew Sullivan froths again. Sarah Palin must be peeking her head out of Alaska and Facebook. How DARE she?!

Still, I can’t help but imagining the envy among fellow Republicans. Rick Perry spouting about Obama’s socialism won’t get the press that Sarah Palin’s discussion about anything will get. And still Sarah Palin faces trouble according to ABC. Overall, 52% of Americans view her unfavorably. She needs to overcome this.

Will her book do this? Will a genteel interview with Oprah and an emotional one with Barbara Walters push her into favorable territory?

Sarah Palin is supported by the Republican party base. From Rasmussen:

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republican voters say former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin shares the values of most GOP voters throughout the nation.

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 21% of Republican voters disagree and think the 2008 vice presidential candidate does not share their values. Twenty percent (20%) are undecided.

By contrast, 74% of Republicans say their party’s representatives in Congress have lost touch with GOP voters nationwide over the past several years. Only 18% of Republican voters believe their elected officials have done a good job representing the base.

To win, though, Sarah Palin needs all Americans, particularly women. To win, though, Sarah Palin needs all Americans, particularly women. Are women ready for a woman in charge? I’m not sure about that.

Sarah just needs to keep plugging, I guess. She is driving the argument. Her Facebook posts push the news cycle, because she’s the only consistent voice calling the administration on their nefarious deeds. She is also going at the press. Dan Riehl has an interesting take:

Sarah Palin seems to be spoiling for a fight with the media in her latest Facebook posting. There are going to be people, assuming political consultants are people, that are going to call this foolish. They’ll rely on conventional, read old, wisdom that says you don’t pick fights with people who buy ink by the barrel. But does that alleged wisdom still apply?

Reagan didn’t fight with the media. The usual descriptor for what he did is, he went over the media’s head directly to the American people. Is Sarah Palin really doing anything different, except for having Facebook, blogs and a great many other New Media resources today to which Reagan didn’t have access? Just imagine how even more effective his communication strategy would have been if he had?

Because of media advances made in the last several years, Sarah Palin doesn’t have to go over the media’s head. She can go right through them. It appears to me that’s precisely what she intends to do. Don’t be surprised if it works, even as the media and some old-line politicos point how what a bad idea it is.

Well, time will tell if Sarah Palin’s strategy will work. She’s not going away and she’s not hiding. I’m wondering if she wins some good will and grudging respect through her book and softer interviews, if she’ll go on a Sunday talk show. That’s what many politicos seem to want. First, though, she needs to have a conversation with the people, win them and then they might be more interested in listening to a wonkier Sarah Palin.

Also, and this shouldn’t be underestimated, Barack Obama is doing more to make Sarah Palin viable than anyone else. Her Facebook posts are straight-forward, self-evident common sense. Meanwhile, President Obama is so “smart” and his impulses are exactly wrong. He seems ashamed of America and American principles. No doubt about Sarah Palin’s allegiance. That may well be enough, after it’s all said and done.