St. Norbert Times

Issue date: 2/8/10 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: www.sarahpalinbook.org

I did the unthinkable: you betcha, I read Sarah Palin's best-selling memoir "Going Rogue: An American Life". Positive and negative opinions regarding, Sarah Palin has constantly been in the media since her vice presidential nomination on September 3, 2008, when she delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention. Her unique character traits and ability to relate to common Americans automatically made her one of the most influential political women in our country, whether we support her or not.

My opinion of Palin has changed slightly after reading her memoir. Her achievements as a political figure and as a woman are quite tremendous, and the loyalty that she shows for her country has always been evident. As a working mother of five children (one being stationed in Iraq, and another with special needs), wife of a blue-collar worker and as the governor of Alaska, Palin makes it very clear that she is devoted to her work and her family. She is a real woman that most everyone can relate to, especially I, since I was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where our dialects are quite similar.

Palin addressed the many topics that created heavy criticism of her over the past year, one being her questionable interview with Katie Couric. She explained the biases of the media and their mission of manipulating statements made by public officials in order to gain a sense of credibility in their fields. Her journey with Senator John McCain for the 2008 Presidential Election was a rocky one, since most of what she said, how she dressed and how she carried herself was scripted. She explained how she lost touch with whom she really was for a small period of time, and how hard it was to remain true to herself under so much pressure to be perfect. After she lost the election in November of 2008 to our current President Barack Obama and his Vice President Joe Biden, she realized what was truly important in life.

Besides telling the story of her political journey, Palin also delved into the most personal realms of her life. She wrote about growing up with her strict Republican family, depending on her faith in God, finding true love with her high school sweetheart and dealing with the hardships of raising children. Her real personality and beliefs shined through her memoir and displayed how strong she truly is.

Although I was not an avid supporter of Sarah Palin, I realized that she is a real woman facing the hardships that many other Americans are forced to face. Her beloved eldest son enlisted to go to Iraq and the devotion and support that she showed him, even during the busiest time of her life, really opened my eyes and made my respect for her increase considerably. She is a strong, independent woman who is going to influence the media and politics whether she is supported or not.


3/5 stars

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