Bark's off the birch for Palin in hometown

[n2doc]

Wasilla, Alaska --
Sarah Palin may be raking in $100,000-plus speaking fees in Lower 48 hotspots like Turlock -- as rumor has it -- but back in her Alaska hometown of Wasilla, the bloom is off the rose.

The Associated Press

Or in her case, the bark is off the birch, which is one of main trees surrounding her spacious estate on the shore of Lucille Lake, which right now looks about as winter-bleak as her reputation in the ol' hometown. Compared to her glory days, at least.

Across the highway from Palin's house, the giddy gung-ho spirit that filled the Mug-Shot Saloon's conservative clientele back when their local gal was running for vice president has turned into sheepish shakes of the head and cluckings of the tongue. She had the bar hoisting glasses and cheering as she carved national renown for Alaska on the 2008 campaign trail, but when she came back many thought she never really came back. At least in a fully engaged way.

When she abandoned the governor's post last summer and hit the cash-laden speaker's circuit, that tore it.

"She took an oath, and she broke it," growled lifetime Wasilla man Jeff Laub, 51, gripping a Miller in his left hand as he leaned against a wall in the Mug-Shot. "Anyone who puts her hand on the Bible and swears an oath ought to keep it. That's that. "She's not getting my vote again."



Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?entry_id=63653&tsp=1

[daleo]

1. But she didn't quit

She had a higher calling $$$$$$$.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. a hire calling, in other words.

[daleo]

9. Excellent. n/t

[Kerrytravelers]

2. You'd think these folks would have been embaressed to fall for her the first time.

I'd never given my name of make a public statement like this. It's public evidence of my stupidity.

[spanone]

3. she's a huckster...she's the flim-flam ma'am...snake oil saleslady

[Ed Barrow]

4. You can make a lot of money being a clown

The far right is constantly proving it. An angry stooge with an attitude is their kind of entertainment. They'll pay good money to see it.

[Kerrytravelers]

7. A fool and their money are soon parted. Caribou Barbie has the market on fools.

[riderinthestorm]

8. Not so fast. Blue in AK says Palin is very politically savvy

and absolutely knows how to politick. Blue's watched her (and so has Mudflats by the way) for many, many more years than we have since McCain foisted her on us, and they all claim that she's a chameleon who can and will change her spots to maximize all opportunities. Plus she's a lying, deceitful bitch who absolutely could care care less about destroying her enemies making her doubly dangerous.

The people of Alaska aren't all fools. And I'd stipulate that Palin is a hell of a threat. She has cunning savvy and a real ability to be charismatic in the public eye. Palin ran as a centrist and obviously "fooled" a lot of cynical Alaskans... I don't think that's some kind of anomaly. She's truly gifted politically and we discount her at our peril.

Don't get me wrong, she's dumb as a box of rocks but she knows how to woo the people. And she does. At $100k a speaking engagement pop, with a multi-million dollar, ghost-written book, and a house built with stolen funds and materials by her very own handyman snow-man (cough), and a lake house cabin she "forgets" to add to tax rolls etc. etc.

She's stupid like a fox.

[Kerrytravelers]

10. I'm not referring to the people of Alaska. Ed Barrow said "righties."

And yes, she is quite the snake oil salesman, but the second she opened her mouth, a lot of undecideds at the time swung to OBama/Biden. To still be wooed by her is shameful.

[riderinthestorm]

11. WE think it's shameful. But she's laughing all the way to the bank

and all the way to prepping for 2012.

We want anyone who supports her to be shamed but fact is: they aren't. They are monstrously egotistically blatantly supportive.

I don't discount the Tea Party or Sarah Palin. There's a "mood" out there that's fickle right now. A mood that's decidedly wild. SP is working it, stroking it, and bringing her guns loaded to that fight. She scares me and any Dem who isn't warily keeping an eye on her (instead of knee-jerk dismissing her outright) isn't paying attention to the dollars she's getting, and the attention the media (who IS deciding to make her a media figure head cuz someone sure as shit is?) is giving, the loose leash the RNC PTB are allowing her to be the front woman etc. etc.

I dunno. There's something there. And I wish it weren't. But it is. We ignore it at our peril.

[Kerrytravelers]

13. I think she is very dangerous. She knows good and well what she is doing.

Those klan rallies that masqueraded as campaign rallies were no accident. She knew that if she didn't win, she'd have to play this out all the way to destroy any chance Obama had of reaching those who didn't vote for him.

[Cha]

6. I'm glad these people are recognizing..

The former 1/2 term gov of Alaska for what she is.

[Cartoonist]

12. Baked in Alaska

I think the point being made in the article is that Sarah's political career in Alaska is over. I mean, what is she going to run for, Governor? Even a role as Senator is too little for Miss "called by God."