A brush with Sarah
By Karin EltonThey waited outside - on a cold South Dakota night - for the opportunity to spend a few moments with Sarah Palin.
Palin, the former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate, made a stop Sunday evening in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Todd Berger of Lake Benton arrived at Barnes & Noble between 5:30-6 p.m. Saturday.
People wanting Palin's new book, "Going Rogue," signed had to line up beforehand with their book and a receipt to get a wristband to get in the next day's book signing appearance.
Berger said it wasn't that cold standing in line all night. People took bathroom breaks in the nearby Wal-Mart and also went to their cars to warm up.
Berger said "it was a lot of fun" to stand in line. "People talked about where they were from - it wasn't all politics."
Gail and John Hovland from Lake Benton showed up at 2 p.m. Saturday with tents, sleeping bags, heaters and coolers.
"Boy was it cold," she said. But it was "cozy" inside their tent, and having six layers of clothing on helped, too.
Berger was fourth in line when Palin appeared at 5:15 p.m. Sunday.
Two of his three children were with him on Sunday - 11-year-old David and 9-year-old Jacquie. Ten-year-old William was back home with Berger's wife, Christin.
When it was Berger's turn to get his book signed, David asked Palin if she was going to run for president in 2012.
"She said she would have to see, but she thanked him for asking that bold question," Berger said.
Berger said Palin was "very personable, very friendly. She talked to my son and my daughter. She thanked us for coming."
Palin had her husband, Todd, youngest son, Trig, and her parents with her in addition to security and staff.
Berger said people brought her gifts but she couldn't accept them until they were inspected.
"One person gave her a T-shirt that had her on Mount Rushmore," he said. "One guy had buttons that showed he made it to every stop (on the book tour)."
Berger said he went to Sioux Falls because it was an "opportunity to meet Sarah Palin, to get my book autographed and to hang out with like-minded individuals."
He felt it was important to show support for Palin early on, so she could get an idea of how much support she had for a possible run for president.
"I would really like to see her run," Berger said. "I believe in her ability to not be influenced. Not be politically influenced."
Hovland said Palin was "so nice. Very gracious, very complimentary.
"I told her, 'please run for president.' She hung her head and smiled."
Hovland said Palin's father was also shaking hands with fans.
"I told him 'try to convince your daughter to run for president' and he said 'we've had a few conversations.' He said 'I'm proud of my little Sarah.'"
Hovland said the whole process was a lot of fun and that she would "definitely" do it all again.
"I'm an autograph hound and this will be my prized autograph," she said.
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Grumpyoldman
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12-11-09 3:52 PM
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Americans want to be both powerful and grounded. A solid 22 percent of the population wants leaders who DONT ACT SMARTER THAN THEM. Because that makes them biggity. Or elitist. So you end up with Connecticut Yalies who summer in Maine cutting brush in Crawford, Tx with the national press, and getting lots of votes for being "just folks!" The press spin grabbed Bible Spice Barbie right up because she was photogenic, had lots of skeletons to give the log cabin story some flair, and was NOT a half-black kid who had pulled himself up by his bootstraps to edit his law school review and teach college. Because somehow, in America, the second narrative stopped being The American Way and started being elitist.
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ruralroute
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12-10-09 2:13 PM
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From what I've studied in the past hours, Sarah Palin isn't dumb -- she can be very lazy and uninformed on the issues and a bit beauty-queen in her public persona -- but she is a money maker. The Republicans would be smart not to run her, but to use her as a fundraiser. Just studying he part of the reason she is vilified is she is a conservative who is pro-life and a woman -- and the women on the left, who think that being pro-life is anti-women, hate it. Just my view.
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ruralroute
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12-10-09 12:48 PM
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I don't have much of an opinion on Palin, but I would take her in a second over someone who is as clueless as Amy Klobuchar, or hard-line radical nutjobs like Barbara Boxer, Dianne Feinstein or Michelle Bachman.
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SDoriginally
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12-09-09 2:29 PM
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rangeral- I've tried thinking of a viable candidate who could be worse than Sarah Palin as president and I just keep coming up blank. . . I'm not saying there isn't one, just that I truly can't imagine it.
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JasonsStorm
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12-08-09 11:13 PM
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I saw on the news someone had a Palin/Bachman 2012 shirt on. Wouldn't that be a disaster. Sadly it would probably set women back. Oh and how is this front page news?
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hartman75
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12-08-09 1:40 PM
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You're funny rangeral, but I do agree that perhaps the time has come for woman to be voted in as Presdent, just not Sarah Palin. There are millions of thoughtful, intelligent, experienced and capable women in this country who are more qualified than Ms. Palin. My Mom for example!
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Grumpyoldman
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12-08-09 10:16 AM
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You're right Al - watching a train wreck unfold before you always makes for good entertainment. Just think of the ratings a Palin presidency will bring to Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey. Unfortunately nothing about Palin is genuine - including her fake dialect. But hey, a Palin/Glen Beck ticket would be a sure win for Democrats.
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rangeral
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12-08-09 12:50 AM
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Sarah is a real American and not part of the Washington establishment - time for common sense in DC and we could do far worse. Hoepfully she'll join the race and by doing so will make things interesting. Could be time for a woman to be President!
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