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Drawing Power: 1500 wait in freezing weather to meet Sarah Palin on book tour
Hotair ^ | 11/18/2009 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 11/18/2009 4:18:16 PM PST by SeekAndFind

In case anyone needed an example of the drawing power and political energy that Sarah Palin wields, the Detroit Free Press report on the start of her book tour should fill the gap nicely. Despite freezing temperatures, people gathered by the hundreds early this morning to greet Palin in person at a Grand Rapids bookstore. By 5 am, five hundred people stood outside the Barnes & Noble — and two hours later, the numbers had swelled to 1500:

And that’s 4:55 this morning when the thermometer had dipped into the 30s. But the 500 or so people in line didn’t mind the sleepless night or the onset of winter.

“What she represents is what we’re standing in line for,” said Robin Case, 44, of Traverse City, who set up a chair and sleeping bag at 9 p.m. Tuesday to make sure she got the chance to meet Sarah Palin, former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate. “She’s real and she’s standing up for what we believe in.”

Palin was scheduled to begin her “Going Rogue” book tour at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in suburban Grand Rapids.

By 7 a.m., the line had swelled to more than 1,500 people as Barnes & Noble wrapped orange wristbands around Palin fans’ wrists.

Most authors would be pleased to get 1500 people in total to show up for a book tour. (Heck, most authors would kill to sell 1500 books.) Even the Lord of the Rings openings didn’t attract 1500 fans for a 7 am show. Star Wars didn’t get this kind of response. And if Massachusetts is any indicator, not even Barack Obama can pack a house like this any more.

Sarah Palin is a phenomenon, and the release of her book proves it. Even the media that loves to deride her has spent the past few days obsessing over her — so much so that Jamie Weinstein wonders whether the media knows that there are other stories to cover. We didn’t see anything like this when Ted Kennedy’s memoirs were published posthumously, nor when the Clinton memoirs came out.

Yesterday, I spoke with NPR’s Mara Liasson about the Palin phenomenon. Liasson asked me about Palin’s prospects in 2012, but I responded that the 2010 midterms would be the first indicator of what Palin intends:

Meanwhile, Morrissey thinks she is right to focus on electing Republicans in 2010. Endorsing candidates, raising money and energizing the party base will give Palin a big platform and a way to showcase her clout inside the GOP.

“What will be telling for Sarah Palin is what kind of impact she’s going to have on the midterm elections — where she’s helpful, where she’s not helpful,” he says.

“I think that will give us all a much better idea of where Sarah Palin can go in 2012 or in 2016 or in 2020,” Morrissey says.

The momentum of the book sales takes Palin right into the 2010 primaries. Where will she campaign, and for whom? Will Palin drive turnout? Will she stick with safe, conservative districts, or attempt to lock horns in swing districts? That will be a key to see where Palin sees herself on the political stage and what ambitions she might have for the future.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: booktour; goingrogue; sarahpalin

1 posted on 11/18/2009 4:18:19 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

“Will she stick with safe, conservative districts, or attempt to lock horns in swing districts?”

Well, given that she’s coming to Columbus, OH, to a bookstore just a few minutes from the Obama-obsessed university, I’d say she’s taking on all comers.


2 posted on 11/18/2009 4:20:14 PM PST by sthguard (The DNC theme song: "All You Need is Guv")
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To: SeekAndFind

The libs can only dream of drawing that many people.


3 posted on 11/18/2009 4:21:00 PM PST by taxcontrol
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To: SeekAndFind

Sarah Palin wanted to go Michigan... McCain’s camp said NO>

She will have no fear in campaigning for others she deems worthy of her presence anywhere in this country.


4 posted on 11/18/2009 4:21:28 PM PST by victim soul
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To: SeekAndFind

1500. That’s about 8 times the number that came to see Biden, recently.


5 posted on 11/18/2009 4:21:51 PM PST by Signalman
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To: SeekAndFind

Meanwhile 30 people show up at the big star power VP Biden because they heard there was free food and drinks.

What a great VP she could/would make. Right about now we would all be calling to impeach McLame so she would be President.

Heck, thats why we voted for him in the first place.


6 posted on 11/18/2009 4:22:05 PM PST by VicVega (Join Jihad, get captured by the US and resettled in the best places in to the world. I love the USA)
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To: sthguard

Let us know how she does in Columbus. Now in other parts of the state she is a star, I attended her rally in BG last year and it was a huge success! Of course campus clowns were there protesting.


7 posted on 11/18/2009 4:22:34 PM PST by ohiogrammy (12)
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To: freekitty; Albion Wilde; celtic gal; NorwegianViking; MamaDearest; oswegodeee; TXRed; ...

PING


8 posted on 11/18/2009 4:22:49 PM PST by ExTexasRedhead (clean the sewer in 2010 and 2012)
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To: Bobkk47

I bet you anything the crowd size is much larger than reported on this article!


9 posted on 11/18/2009 4:23:26 PM PST by RoseofTexas
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To: RoseofTexas

The 1,500 was at 8am this morning. My son has his book signed and mine too. WAA HOO!


10 posted on 11/18/2009 4:27:50 PM PST by 70th Division (I love my country but fear my government!)
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To: SeekAndFind

If this was a political rally the crowd would have been ten times bigger. Since it is a book signing for just 3 hours, and only limited number of people can get their books signed, 1500 is a huge crowd. My bet is that a lot of people will show up, with no expectations of getting a book signed, just to try and get a glimpse of Palin.

I’m still waiting to see the first day sales totals. When Bill Clinton’s book was released, his first day sales total was released the very next day. I wonder what the hold up is regarding Palin’s sales total.


11 posted on 11/18/2009 4:39:47 PM PST by euram
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To: SeekAndFind

In my Sarah Palin fantasy her left hand is on a Bible, her right hand is in the air, and there are a million people on the Mall watching.


12 posted on 11/18/2009 5:19:38 PM PST by PaleoBob
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To: ohiogrammy

Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it to the Columbus event as I have a previous commitment, but I’ll see what I can find. Outside of campustown there are some relatively sane voters, but the university setting is anathema to any non-leftist thought.


13 posted on 11/18/2009 6:27:13 PM PST by sthguard (The DNC theme song: "All You Need is Guv")
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To: sthguard
"Will she stick with safe, conservative districts, or attempt to lock horns in swing districts?”

memo to ed morissey: The beginning of wisdom is knowing what are the right questions to ask. Only then do answers mean anything.

14 posted on 11/18/2009 6:47:48 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: 70th Division; RoseofTexas; taxcontrol; euram
As I have posted previously, THESE are the kind of "wide angle" photographs that we need to get, IMHO...
...from each of Governor Palin's book tour stops...
....to PROVE the large numbers of supporters that she is attracting.
From Mlive.com:






15 posted on 11/19/2009 2:21:53 AM PST by RonDog
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To: ohiogrammy

Re Palin’s visit to Columbus, a friend of mine and his wife went, and they estimated there were about 2,000 people there— double the announced capacity!


16 posted on 11/20/2009 8:54:45 PM PST by sthguard (The DNC theme song: "All You Need is Guv")
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