Sarah Palin bio continues to climb

As we noted yesterday, the biography of relatively unknown Sarah Palin was being snapped up by people eager to learn more about John McCain's choice for VP.

Today the book -- "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment on Its Ear," by Kaylene Johnson -- is at  No. 12 in all of books on Amazon. It is the No. 1 bestseller in Biographies & Memoirs of Women and also No. 1 in Biographies & Memoirs of Leaders and Notable People -- Politicians.

The Wall Street Journal quotes author Johnson as saying that "the book has been selling well in Alaska because people really like her." That's probably an old quote, as the book is now selling well pretty much everywhere.

And some in Alaska aren't Palin-boosters. The Anchorage Daily News says local politicians are "stunned." Republican state Senate President Lyda Green, who, along with Johnson, is from Palin's hometown of Wasilla, said: "She's not prepared to be governor. How can she be prepared to be vice president or president?"

Many are looking to Johnson's bio for the answer to that question.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

UPDATE: "Sarah" is now, after 1pm Pacific, at #10 on Amazon's sales chart; it's the only biography in the top 10.

Photo credit: Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press

Comments

[fishskicanoe]

Here is something the media can check. The word is that she doesn't wear prescription glasses but instead wears glasses with plain glass lenses just to look smart. True or false? If true, she is a fake and isn't qualified to watch my kids much less my country.

[hope2]

I am getting really frightened. where am I? Who are my fellow US citizens who think that an ex-beauty queen, hockey mother of 5, one year governor of a tiny, tiny state is ready to run this country. Wow it just goes to show you how ignorant the religious right is.........you are scary

[cal godot]

If you are a Democrat voting for McCain, why are you a Democrat? McCain is opposed to everything that a Democrat stands for, nominally. Are you a DINO - Democrat in Name Only - someone who actually agrees with little to none of the party platform but derives sick pleasure out of saying "I am a Democrat" and then behaving like a hard-right Republican? Perhaps sadly you are, like so many Republicans these days, less than honest?

Any "Democrat" voting for McCain was never a Democrat in the first place. You've been Republican all along - congratulations on coming out of that closet!

[Brad]

AsBee,

(Do you like to get stung there?)

You must really be stupid if you're registered as a Democrat, support McCain, and like his choice of Palin. Democrats don't support war mongers and right-wing christian extremists. So, you may as well drop the lie or go 'n git yurself sum more educatin.

[t. lore]

Lets be truthful, you baby murdering, gun grabbing, narcissistic socialists are crapping your pants. McCain, picked a VP with more experience than your messiah, his (bribed by his lobbyist son) VP pick or Hillary. Your new god is ******

[Dan]

COUNTRY FIRST??!!

HOW DARE YOU...support this administrations' agenda 95% of the time in their imperialistic-neocon drive toward global domination leading to the chaotic and destructive new cold war vice your 'New World Order'.

HOW DARE YOU...boast that you are better poised to guarantee the safety and security of the U.S. citizenry at your age, while on the brink of a nuclear confrontation, by selecting an ex-PTA president/socker mom as the 'commander-in-chief' in your stead in the event of your death.

HOW DARE YOU...offer "We the People" a candidate for the second most powerful political office on the face of the earth...one who has but 18 months experience as governor and no foreign policy experience whatsoever, but was, at least, an ex-PTA president, which should amply qualify her for attendance at National Security Council meetings.

HOW DARE YOU...select an ex-PTA president to preside over national security issues with the Joint Chiefs of Staff in your absence. Perhaps her hunting and fishing experiences will enhance her credentials as acting commander-in-chief while making military decisions with grave consequences in the global political theatre.

HOW DARE YOU...tout her credentials as a whistleblower when your very own 'commander-in-chief' has vowed throughout his tenure to veto all whistleblower legislation presented him, and with such notable whistleblowers as Sibel Edmonds, the fired District Attorneys, and others havIng been stonewalled by this administration.

HOW DARE YOU...tout her credentials as a whistleblower when the GOP-controlled Department of Justice has created loopholes in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 through implementation of 'deferred prosecutorial agreements' thereby turning a blind eye to select cases of potential white-collar criminal wrongdoing.

HOW DARE YOU...base your decision to select her as a running mate after meeting her but one time.

HOW DARE YOU...play cheap-shot domestic politics in a time of national crisis by offering this nation a lightweight political candidate, while pandering to the extreme to your right-wing conservative Christian base in a last-shot desperate attempt for the office of the president. The political transparency is so profound as to be almost laughable, were it not so pathetic.

Your impairment of judgement should immediately be brought to center stage in the global political arena. The global populace is already aware of the facts that you are trigger-happy and obsessed with the perpetuation of war to the benefit of the military-industrial complex.

The selection of your vice-presidential candidate adds fear to the hearts of many in questioning the soundness of your judgement to lead one of the most militarily powerful nations on the face of the earth through political coordination with an ex-PTA president and socker coach.

[Scott]

How come no one has mentioned that the trooper tasered his 11 year son numerous times and beat the hell out of his wife several times.

Go Obama and your 14 million real estate deal that allowed you to get your home for 300,000 cheaper.

Ps. How come no one is asking to see Obama's passport? Maybe because he wasnt born in the United States and no one wants the truth to come out?

[Sandee]

I get the impression that Sarah Palin is the best person that happened to the state of Alaska, she cleaned up some very corrupt activities there which is exactly what we need in Washington. Since her appearance along side John McCain yesterday and getting a glimpse of her family I did some internet research and am convinced she and John McCain will do a great job for this country, which we need desperately. Some folks are commenting she is not ready for the job, her resume is a lot thicker than Senator Oboma and Democrats say he’s ready to pick up that Red Phone and run this country. She along with John McCain will make a great winning ticket in November. I have voted since 1964 and never believed a majority of congress and the President should be of the same party, we as Americans should welcome a checks and balances system, not a dictatorship.
As far as the investigation of the firing of her ex brother-in-law--- I read he is a wife and child abuser---he tazed his 11 year old step-son. No matter what your politics are NO MAN has the right to abuse a Women or Children.

[Alius]

Whtat a jocke!!!
McCain is completly naive about thinking he can o choose her younger dauther (44 year old) candidate without any experience for the most important job in the world just to get Hillary votes?
McCain STIIL DOSN'T GET IT!!!!!!!!

[Timmy Coffee]

What is this about Palin is really the grandmother of her youngest child?

The seeds sown by Pat Buchannan have reached maturity. Now we have Buchannan Girl as Johnny Mc’s Vp. The Republicans desire another election about guns, gays, and abortion. They are building the bridge back to the 19th century. Unlimited access and no regulation of firearms is great until your three elementary school children are killed in a mass slaughter on the school grounds. Banning abortion is great until your mother conceives (when life begins?) due to having been raped in the restroom of the local Wal-Mart. It’s great to cut taxes for everyone and demagogue infrastructure maintenance (pork barrel?) spending until your entire family is killed when an interstate bridge collapses. It’s great as a Christian-nation to despise and demonize the other religions of the world until we need assistance in stopping terrorists. Ms. Palian is the type of extreme right-wing ideologue that is found in every community. In Memphis, Shelby county we have Marilyn Loeffel types who want to impose their self-absorbed and hateful ideologies on their communities. This type of vulgar nonsense is unacceptable in a national election. We have serious national problems which need to be addressed after the last 16 years of neglect. The only thing conservative about the current Republican Party is a desire to conserve the American aristocracy (the ability to have seven houses or more?) and the romance of the Salem witch trial era.

[Tommy D]

Palin has nowhere near enough experience to be president. But she has more experience than Obama.

[Tom]

Why do people keep talking about nuclear weapons? America was founded on a principle of democracy, and has a whole constitution in place to stop a single man from unilaterally taking such grave action.

[Jim Green]

Dumb and Dumber...
http://www.anheuserbusch.blogspot.com/

[Mark]

Amazing.I did not believe that it was possible for anyone to have the guts to step outside the corpocracy/politically correct/insiders club at that level of politics. An absolutely brilliant choice by McCain and she is *dynamite* -- in all the good ways possible. She has more relevant experience than Obama (he's never run anything! ... and he's running for Pres, not VP!) Alaska is first line Pacific defense for U.S., she's commander & chief of Ak Nat'l Guard - much bigger deal than in any other state. Actually, Ak is a lot more like a country than a state in many ways. Lots more dealings with all Pacific rim countries than Obama and Biden together! She's the one who brought down all the corrupt politicians in Ak and the only one to have the guts to take on Big Oil which, with sleazy politicians, have been running Alaska. She already proved she can play with the big boys and whup 'em ... Senator Stevens would not be under indictment now but for her. [And the nonsense about the "trooper scandal" is essentially press malarkey.] I didn't think McCain had a chance, nor was I going to vote for him. I just changed my mind on both!

[I can't believe]

I can't believe you people who support something like Sarah Palin. Someone who believes in illegal abortions EVEN IN THE CASE OF RAPE OR INCEST. For those of you who have not known anyone who has been raped, be thankful, but don't support somebody who has no care in the world what people go through.
Somebody who thinks creationism should be TAUGHT!? America is about free thoughts, and forcing that on children who cannot think for themselves is nothing less than tyranny.
Don't forget about the DENIAL of global warming - the denial of science (global warming AND evolution)- or the general disregard for our environment, of which we only have one. Sure, let's drill what's left of our beautiful Earth, get some more oil, and put more crap into the air, because we all know there is more than one planet we all share.
Think again Republicans. For the sake of our Earth and its people.

[Nobama]

THIS IS 'FOR HOW DARE YOU' POSTED BY DAN

Your guy Obama had a few years as street organizer in the South side of Chicago on his resume before running for State Senate...had 144 days in the United States Senate before running for the highest office in this country. I think he needs to wait and pump up his resume before taking on this task...he is not ready...No Way-No How-Nobamma-Nomammabamma.......She reminds me of the school bully who would take your lunch money.....

[RR]

And who is little local Lyda Green to determine fitness for office? She's not a governor. Palin has managed... a family and career, a town and a state (with billions of dollars in assets and billions of dollars in construction projects), tangled with Big Oil, and managed to clean house in a fight with her own party, and defeated an incumbent governor/ormer Senator, both for the party nomination and the election, against another former well-liked governor ... and you all says she's 'not' qualified for office. Seems like she's kicking butt to me.... and has MORE than enough qualification for VP, and more than enough qualification to learn the ropes quickly enough to be a 'heartbeat' away from the top executive position. Get a Clue... she's no Hillary is right, she's better than a former executive wife. She -is- the executive. She's more middle America than Hillary will ever be. She'll have appeal to women everywhere regardless of political differences, because little really changes that can't be undone by later administrations... and getting Palin elected furthers their chances to do things later, as well as undo things. Naysayers are small minded, short sighted, chicken little, jokes. Palin will eclipse HRC, and rightfully so. The Clinton era is over.

[Bruno in TX]

McCain has succeeded in satisfying his right wing base and turning this election into a debate about social values again. So this election will be decided by people who are more concerned with whether we teach creationism in the schools etc etc. than whether we have another cold war with Russia, whether we solve our economic problems etc. etc. How many more people have to lose their jobs, their homes, their health insurance etc. before they learn to decide elections on these issues instead of the social issues the Republicans use to stay in office ?? I wouldn't mind so much if Republicans won because they had better solutions to these problems, but all they do is distract people with social issues and follow economic and foreign policies that are disastrous. If this election comes down to Ohio again then we will have learned nothing in the last eight years and we will deserve whatever we get in the next eight.

[Don]

When I read the comments critical of Palin's lack of experience and her association with scandal, it's simple to just substitute the name of Obama for Palin and the same comments apply.
What's frightening is that Palin is a distant two heartbeats away from the presidency and Obama is only one.

[RR]

That 'troopergate' baloney gets staler the more you push it. Read the wikipedia bio for details. Palin's husband might have called and one of her subordinates, but she didn't... and the 'trooper' is some kind of cocky good ol' boy thinks he can get away with anything from game violations to making threats, apparently. Some people are trying to help her sister get away from this domineering guy, so what? There's no abuse of power, no 'scandal'. If Palin knew other people were trying to help her sister, so what?

[fishskicanoe]

George Bush in a Dress, that sums up Palin.

[Billy Vaughan]

Hello? The biggest threat to the country is energy! That's why we are in the middle east. Guess who is the governor of the largest oil reserves in the U.S.? I just saw her on CNBC talking for an hour non-stop about energy conservation and yes, exploration. Guess who has executive experience, unlike Obama. She is sharp, articulate and SMART.

What is scaring me is that some unknown, unaccomplished and inexperienced individual that votes present on tough calls, with the most liberal record in the Senate may be the next president. It's all talk and no action. Obama should have picked Hillary, but he didn't.

[David]

Obama has a confirmed relationship with Ayres in Chicago when they both headed a now defunct gov funded organization that was a shell for siphoning millions to pet projects for Obama and Ayres. Watch for this in the news the coming week of Sept 1. Obama stated in the debates he had no such long standing relationship with his crony Ayres. All those who want to make believe in the knight in shining armor - Camelot is gone with the 60's. Get over it. Its business and politics as usual people, just marketing, Obamamania.

[gettyleigh]

In an interview with the editor in chief, of the news paper Carolyn Kellogg was a contributing member of in high school, the editor in chief stated that Carolyn’s big downfall in the field of journalism was that she was not objective enough. The editor in chief went on to say that this shortcoming would prevent her from making a serious impact in the news world, because readers would not align themselves with a reporter that put their biased opinions in print. Additionally, the editor in chief added that Carolyn’s was routinely slothful when it came to researching the facts to support her claims. The high school newspapers editor in chief said it might be best if readers did not pay her, or her stories, any mind, because she's been writing nothing but rubbish for years.

[RR]

We have two of the best teams of 'politicians' to choose from in years and all you scandal mongers, and position distorters are just lame, ill winds of hot air. Get over it all. And go read the issues and demand more details of their positions and proposed solutions... the schoolyard epithets are such a waste of space here. We had almost a couple years to sort out candidates... now we have only two months to choose between them. Grow up.