Sarah Palin’s new book, Going Rogue: An American Life is an autobiographical re-introduction to the woman who wanted to be vice president. It is interesting in the way that reality TV is interesting; full of exciting tidbits and drama but the writing is only okay and her policy positions fall flat.

By most accounts we don’t know much about her and what we do know is limited by what she calls “the media filter.” Palin uses the first half of the book to share her history and introduce herself. The book is written in her familiar, folksy prose with plenty of “you betchas” and “gosh darn its” thrown in for good measure. “By the end of summer, Todd and I didn’t want to spend more time apart. So we took our broke butts down to the Palmer Courthouse and lassoed a magistrate to pronounce us man and wife,” (page 49).

She narrates her way through Wasilla City Council and eventually her two terms as mayor and describes what it means, to her, to be a Republican.

A believer in individual rights and responsibilities rather than heavy-handed government; in free-market principles that included reward for hard work; respect for quality; support for a strong military; and a belief that America is the best country on earth (page 45).

Palin picks apart her unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2002 and her attempt to replace U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski when he became governor and needed to appoint a replacement. Following that, she illustrates her stint on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and her disgust with the ethics deficiency she finds. Eventually she narrates her way to the Alaska Governor’s Mansion.

But throughout her 17 year career as a public servant, similar themes pop up. She runs for office because some talks her into it, she’s elected, and when she gets down to business she finds ethical lapses and conflicts of interest around every corner. When she says something about it, she loses colleagues and friends. It’s the same pattern in Wasilla and in Juneau and Anchorage.

Throughout the book she comes back her philosophy, “In politics, you’re either eating well or sleeping well. I wanted to sleep well,” (page 70). However, corruption is to Alaska what dairy is to Wisconsin. But in her recollection, Palin never really learned to play with pros. That’s why her “old boys club” busting, budget slashing, earmark smashing earned her approval ratings in the 80s and 90’s during her first 2 years in office.

Perhaps her biggest accomplishment, though, during her 3 years as governor is her work on the “Alaska Gasline Inducement Act” (AGIA) calling it the largest private-sector industry project in North American history. It’s what the McCain campaign should have pushed as her expertise on the trail.

However the second half of the book focuses on her failed run for office with Senator John McCain. She never faults McCain himself but she does outline the disorder and disconnect of the campaign and criticizes the advisors.

It seemed off that we were being put in the hands of a man who had never run a campaign before, but Andrew seemed like a nice guy, and it wasn’t my call. I figured they were the pros and knew what they were doing. It ended up being a learning experience for all of us (Page 230).

Before the VP run, Palin was essentially naïve to the world of national elections. However some of those problems came about because she was green and the campaign staffers were ill-prepared.

I presented myself as I was and told people what I believed in. now I was in the hands of ‘campaign professionals,’ and it was my first encounter with the unique way of thinking that characterizes this elite and highly specialized guild. In Alaska, we don’t really have these kinds of people-they are a feature of national politics. Naturally enough, as the experts, they are used to being in charge. But no matter how ‘expert’ any of them was, nothing had apparently prepared them for the unprecedented onslaught of rumors, lies, and innuendo… (page 232).

Some of the juicy, gossipy parts were interesting and even entertaining to read. However according some reports those juicy parts are mostly lies.

If you’re thinking about reading Going Rogue do it because it’s interesting not because you want well thought out policy statements. Palin uses the last chapter to outline her policy positions. It’s unfortunate that she only used the last 15 or so pages to do so because it leaves her positions vague.

However she’ll have the next few years to flesh out her stance because it’s obvious that she’s not done yet. “There was a longing inside me that winder, a sense of purpose hovering just beyond my vision. Was it ambition? I didn’t think so. Ambition drives, purpose beckons. Purpose calls,” (page 103).

Posted under Books, Campaigns, Current Affairs, Policy, Politics