Sarah Palin and the "America by Heart" book tour
Sarah Palin is taking the country by storm. Or at least the Midwest, the South, and several predominantly Republican states, two of which play a big role in the presidential nominating process.
These are the key stops on Ms. Palin鈥檚 book tour for 鈥�America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag,鈥� which HarperCollins released last week. It鈥檚 her first book since the million-selling memoir 鈥淕oing Rogue,鈥� and, possibly, a hint of what鈥檚 to come in 2012.
What鈥檚 more significant is where Palin isn鈥檛 touring. She will not stop in some of the nation鈥檚 biggest 鈥� and most liberal 鈥� cities: New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, or San Francisco.
Palin鈥檚 16-stop tour includes 13 states, including Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Two of those states 鈥� Iowa and South Carolina 鈥� are of particular importance because they play key roles in the presidential nominating process. Coincidence?
The former Alaska governor and Fox News commentator seems to be keeping politics out of her book tour, and has been unusually tight-lipped about whether she plans to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012. When asked for clarification of her plans, Palin, signing books at a Borders bookstore in Des Moines, Iowa, issued : 鈥淭hank you for your encouragement.鈥�
However, she鈥檚 clearly hinted before that she鈥檚 open to the idea. 鈥淚f there's nobody else to do it, then of course I would believe that we should do this,鈥� the former Alaska governor said in .鈥�
Book tours like Palin鈥檚 are a popular way for potential candidates to test the waters before mounting active campaigns. a 鈥渨arm-up lap for a presidential campaign.鈥� Barack Obama did it successfully with the tours promoting his book 鈥淎udacity of Hope,鈥� and other possible Republican contenders appear to be doing the same. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is on tour for his new fictional novel, 鈥淰alley Forge.鈥� And, , Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, another likely Republican candidate, plans to travel to promote his forthcoming autobiography, 鈥淐ourage to Stand: An American Story,鈥� after he leaves office in January.
Whatever Palin鈥檚 plans, you can be sure Mr. Obama鈥檚 campaign team is reading up for clues.
Palin鈥檚 book, reports The New York Times, 鈥渋s ... a road map to the kinds of political attacks that Ms. Palin would most likely use against President Obama should she decide to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.鈥�
One guess what鈥檚 on David Axelrod鈥檚 nightstand.
Husna Haq is a Monitor contributor.
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