Who is Sarah Palin? A novelist considers character

As a novelist, I am fascinated by the emergence of Sarah Palin as a character. This lively cross between Annie Oakley and Eva Braun seems to have released Republican chakras to a degree that could be matched only by the resurrection of Ronald Reagan. This is more extraordinary by virtue of her having been an unknown local politician until — what? oh, about five minutes ago. As the nation slouches toward her possible elevation to the second-highest office in the land, we're all taking a closer look at what's gone on in Alaska these past few years.

There's the aerial wolf hunting, the moose burgers, the book banning — excuse me? The book banning? As Jacket Copy reported earlier this week, Palin leaned on the local librarian when she was mayor of Wasilla, urging her to ban certain texts. In other words, we are in danger of going from a nation where the first lady is a former librarian to one where the vice president is a character in "Fahrenheit 451." Clearly, this is what they mean by change you can believe in.

The role of  Alaska in American literature is sure to be a popular subject in the event of a Republican victory. For me, the most intriguing treatment is "The Yiddish Policemen's Union," Michael Chabon's recent novel. The book is an alternative history about what might have happened had Jewish refugees been resettled after World War II in the Alaskan Territory rather than Israel. I don't claim to be privy to Palin's literary taste, but I would bet money that this book has not graced her night table.

And that, my friends (McCain's got me saying it now), is a shame.

— Seth Greenland

Photo credit: Stephen Nowers / Anchorage Daily News

Comments

[Peter]

Sarah Palin Should be the GOP nominee!! not McCain. The Republicans are much more excited about palin then mccain., The new most famous person in the world. Uh- Oh, Wonder if she is a Muslim too?

This site has the inside scoop about the Palin Dui Secret, http://www.duihelpguide.com Why hasnt the news covered this?

This site has background info on sarah Palin Bio, Pics, Videos, Alot of Polls like how many people actually think that she is attractive? http://www.theveep.com

This site has everything about her scandals, Levi the Boy Friend, what really happen with ebay plane. http://www.hotpres.com
Despite all of this, and her lack of experiance she would probably make a much better president then McCain., Because like Obama she hasnt been corrupted by washington yet.

[JL]

Eva Braun? Predicting her reading material?

You know what "gratuitous" means, right, Seth?

[Ken]

Squirm, squirm, squirm. I love to see libs squirm... Lets start with experience. We will gladly match Palin against Obama any day of the week. She has been a Mayor. She took on corruption in her state, which led to the chairman of her own party receiving a fine for several thousand dollars. She beat the incumbent and a Dem to become Governor of Alaska. She is Commander In Chief of the Alaska National Guard, the only guard in the nation that is not part time. They are charged with security of strategic missle defence for the entire nation. Can anyone out there tell me three things, no lets make it easy, ANYTHING Obama has done to qualify him to be President. He has never defined what his role was as a community organizer. He has not accomplished anything in the Senate. He didn't have the courage to challenge anything. He voted present more than 80% of the time. What is that. He has not taken on corrution in his own party ( the first thing needed for either candidate to actually change anything in Wsahington, and by the way McCain has made a career of this) Then Obama picks a total Washington insider as his running mate. Where is the change in that pick. The libs are making such a big thing out of Palins daughter getting prgnant. how about reading Obamas first book where he defines in great detail how he spent his late teen years in a haze from cocain, pot and alcohol. here is the biggest problem for you Dim Libs out there. Over 60% of this country identify themselves as conservative. Although most are unhappy with GW's overall performance and would likely vote for a moderate Demcrat. You blew it by nominating the most liberal of all the senate over Hillary. So you will see plenty of Palin over the next several years in Washington. And thats the real cherry in all of this. Palin now answers the only thing that made Hillary unique, her gender. Squirm on now libs......

[unclesmrgol]

Eva Braun had little to do with book banning -- you are thinking of Heinrich Himmler, Hermann Goring, or Joseph Goebbels (all underlings of Adolf Hitler), right?

The two words "Eva Braun" inform us of your feelings about McCain and Palin (Adolph Hitler and his mistress), but bear little relationship to reality.

We all have books we think the local library ought not to have. Would I allow, without protest, subscriptions to Neo-Nazi literature to stand? NAMBA's newsletter? Child pornography? Of course, that's me -- not Sarah Palin... The Times itself indicates that it is unknown which books were the target of Palin's alleged ire, because the librarian who was the alleged target of Palin's alleged requests hasn't spoken -- the information has been provided by her political adversary, ex-Mayor John Stein. I'm guessing Stein must be regretting the day he let Palin take the lead in creating the town's police department, because he created a "monster" who eventually drove him from office. So I view the "Eva Braun" comment as more in support of Stein's attempt at political payback than any reality.

The German National Socialist Party (aka the Nazis) had a platform which is far closer to that of the Democratic Party (aka The Party of Slavery) than to the Republican Party's platform. The Republicans push for individual responsibility and individual rights, while the Democrats push for racial entitlement and group rights.

Palin's political philosophy is obviously one of individual entitlement -- she has made sure that the majority of oil wealth accumulated by the State of Alaska goes to individual citizens, not to the state. And the race or income of the individual is of no matter -- every individual gets the same amount.

As for the commenter above who thinks that Palin is better than McCain, he is welcome to his viewpoint, but I think each individually beats the pants off of Obama in both experience and action. (What exactly has Obama done during two years in the Senate other than to vote "President" [during the one-third of the time he was present])? The interesting thing to me is how low Biden is laying right now -- it's almost like he doesn't exist.

[James Vincett]

Eva Braun?

Get a grip, dude, and read some history.

[BWK]

"Eva Braun?" Huh? This is commentary? Oh wait. This is the LA Times. Right. Sorry. Open season on Republicans. No shot is too cheap, too tacky, too ignorant... as long as it's a cheap, tacky, ignorant shot at a prominent Republican. Especially a person whom you've never met, and about whom you have only opinions based on your own mythology.

Should we start calling Sen. Obama by his more accurate name as well? Barack Hussein Karl Marx Mao Zedong Pol Pot Obama? Oh, you don't like that eh? Well, too bad he hangs with such a bunch of bomb-throwing, radical friends. But then again, "That's not the Rev. Wright/Bill Ayers/Tony Rezko I know," is it?

The real issue? You want to know the REAL issue? You want the truth? Can you handle the truth?

The real issue is that Palin is a game-changer. The election just went from a boring, 60-day wait for the coronation of St. Obama, to a real contest. Now there is a strong likelihood that McCain-Palin ticket will prevail. All those bitter, bible-clinging, gun-toting, unemployed, laid-off, immigrant-hating hillbillies of Pennsylvania and West Virginia and Ohio will vote for the Alaska small-town girl, and not do as they are being told by the despicable elite media.

And all that psychic investment of the progressive-class, plus the financial commitment via their virtual fundraisers and electronic contributions, is all for naught.

Eva Braun? Dude, you just plain suck. You are an intellectual dirt-bag. You think that you're soooooo smart, huh? Eva Braun? Hey, why do you have to be such a jerk? Really? Do you enjoy going through life being a jerk? You must enjoy it... or you wouldn't be such a jerk.

Your mother is Eva Braun.

[mark haskell smith]

This is a blog about books, right? In the book section of the LA Times. It's not an op/ed page. Mr. Greenland is a noted satirist and I don't think I'm going out on a limb here when I say that he was commenting on Ms. Palin from the point of view of a novelist, appraising her as if she were a fictional character, and in terms of fictional characters being a "lively cross between Annie Oakley and Eva Braun" is high praise indeed.

[Eric Rife]

Hoo boy, when it comes to name-calling it looks like the Republicans can dish it out, but can't take it.

If Palin wants to ban books, force rape victims to carry their pregnancies to term, teach creationism in public schools and shoot endangered polar bears from helicopters, can't we at least agree that she represents the far right wing of the Republican Party?

Isn't that a fair assessment? Or has the Republican Party become that fanatical?

Wait. Don't answer that. I nearly forgot ... she also advocated Alaskan succession from the Union!

I wonder what her response was during her beauty pageant question, "What would you do to help change the world?"

"Well, uh, first I would, um let the free market decide what is and isn't an endangered species and then, um, I'd put rape victims in jail if they had an abortion and then, uh, well, I don't know. I'd probably do something crazy like blow away a few wolves from an airplane!"

[Chris B]

I can see the Annie Oakley, but I wish Mr. Greenland would explain the Eva Braun tie. Obviously he knows something we don't because I can't believe an unbiased book observer would attempt to link an elected state governor with the mistress of a dictator. Even for a blog from the local starbucks barrista this would be a stretch, I can't believe the LA Times would print this filth. Now go lay off another 100 reporters.

[Randy]

A true Monster, this Palin Character. As I understand it, she also eats puppies and kittens for breakfast. I am sure the American public won't allow a puppy/kitten eater anywhere near the White House. Can we be serious? This story is coming from the LA times. The TRUE Funny Paper. If we let the LA times and Sacramento Bee tell us what to believe , we'll all be drinking Cool-Aid by the end of the day. Vote Republican. This time.

[Analina Campana]

I think he meant Eva Peron, who worked the Argentine masses into a frenzy.... Palin may be more like Peron than Braun.

[Zeke]

Wasn't the last president a republican governor with no Washington experience? Uh . . . how is that working out?