Sarah Palin and the state of the Republican Party
EVER since Abraham Lincoln made a virtue of log cabins, crafting the right autobiography has been an essential task for anyone seeking high office in America. On Monday November 16th Sarah Palin, ex-governor of Alaska and failed vice-presidential candidate in 2008, made an eagerly awaited appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, as part of the launch of her biography. That book, “Going Rogue”, is already topping the bestseller charts, as readers rush to read about gossip and infighting during last year’s presidential campaign and to size up Mrs Palin herself.
On television on Monday Mrs Palin talked about her time as John McCain’s running mate. She recalled an awkward series of unflattering television interviews with Katie Couric, in which Mrs Palin struggled to answer simple questions about international affairs, calling the occasion a “gotcha” moment. She added that the media had no understanding of ordinary people like her and her family. Mrs Palin has also given an acerbic narrative of how she was “mishandled” by Mr McCain’s advisers, whom she says tried to hide her away from the spotlight. Mr McCain has diplomatically called the book “a good account” of the campaign, but he has not responded to Mrs Palin’s claim that she was not repaid a $50,000 fee for vetting her background. …
