Going Rogue in Plano: The Wrap-Up

Posted on December 4th, 2009 2:07pm by Zac Crain
Filed under Books, Politics

goingrogue

This is the man with the "I wish Palin was president" poster that appeared in the previous post. I thought it was worthwhile to include what appeared on the back of the sign. I don't know if it was meant for today, or if he does a lot of this kind of thing and is being green by recycling. I also won't say that he was representative of the crowd. What I will say is that I saw a ton of people taking photos with him with said sign. Taking pictures of him, too, of course, but just as many were posing beside him.

This is the man with the "I wish Palin was president" poster that appeared in the previous post. I thought it was worthwhile to include what appeared on the back of the sign. I don't know if it was meant for today, or if he does a lot of this kind of thing and is being green by recycling. I also won't say that he was representative of the crowd. What I will say is that I saw a ton of people taking photos with him with said sign. Taking pictures of him, too, of course, but just as many were posing beside him.

Here's another shot of this fella. He has a website -- PalinMan.com -- with the mission statement "Restoring (sic) American through Conservative Values." Also, I don't know if you can see it here, but he had "Palin Possee" stenciled on the toe box of each shoe. From what I gather, he has been following the book tour since Columbus, Ohio.
Here’s another shot of this fella. He has a website — PalinMan.com — with the mission statement “Restoring American (sic) through Conservative Values.” Also, I don’t know if you can see it here, but he had “Palin Posse” stenciled on the toe box of each shoe. From what I gather, he has been following the book tour since Columbus, Ohio.”
The folks at Legacy Books weren't sure if Sarah Palin would speak when she arrived. At some stops she did. Others, she just signed. They set up a podium anyway. She did not use it. You'd figure an Alaska girl with a belly full of moose meat would be used to a little cold. Maybe she saw Palin Man.

The folks at Legacy Books weren't sure if Sarah Palin would speak when she arrived. At some stops she did. Others, she just signed. They set up a podium anyway. She did not use it. You'd figure an Alaska girl with a belly full of moose meat would be used to a little cold. Maybe she saw Palin Man.

Todd Palin actually got a bigger response when he followed his wife down the railing. Of course, he was carrying their son Trig, so he was kind of cheating. I will say that the campaign-rally-like chanting I expected never really materialized. There was a weak "Palin! Palin!" chant that didn't really go anywhere, followed a short while later by its cousin, the "Sarah! Sarah!" chant. That kind of petered out quickly as well. Not complaining.

Todd Palin actually got a bigger response when he followed his wife down the railing. Of course, he was carrying their son Trig, so he was kind of cheating. I will say that the campaign-rally-like chanting I expected never really materialized. There was a weak "Palin! Palin!" chant that didn't really go anywhere, followed a short while later by its cousin, the "Sarah! Sarah!" chant. That kind of petered out quickly as well. Not complaining.

I didn't (necessarily) mean to frame this photo of Palin signing books with her situated directly above the "Science Fiction & Fantasy" section. That's just as close as I could get. The framing was a bonus. This particular photo was taken right after some woman (one of the VIPs, I believe) got Palin to pose with her own Down syndrome toddler. I guess she had good intentions, but it sort of creeped me out. The kid, too: in short order, he was bawling.

I didn't (necessarily) mean to frame this photo of Palin signing books with her situated directly above the "Science Fiction & Fantasy" section. That's just as close as I could get. The framing was a bonus. This particular photo was taken right after some woman (one of the VIPs, I believe) got Palin to pose with her own Down syndrome toddler. I guess she had good intentions, but it sort of creeped me out. The kid, too: in short order, he was bawling.

This guy is radio host Mike Gallagher's kind of people.

This guy is radio host Mike Gallagher's kind of people.

Him, too.

Him, too. (One other note about Gallagher: the table for his live broadcast was set up directly in front of a stack of bright pink books about The Clash. I doubt he picked up on the -- admittedly subtle -- irony of that.)

Sarah and Charles Heath, Sarah Palin's parents. They've been on the entire tour. What's that been like? "Verry interesting," her father told me. He's like an Alaskan Gary Cooper, if he looked like Larry David's dad on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Sarah and Charles Heath, Sarah Palin's parents. They've been on the entire tour. What's that been like? "Verry interesting," her father told me. He's like an Alaskan Gary Cooper, if he looked like Larry David's dad on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

"Sarah's Aunt Katie" -- which I heard her say roughly 100 million times -- was also there. If you ask me, though, she looks more like the aunt of Kate Gosselin.

"Sarah's Aunt Katie" -- which I heard her say roughly 100 million times -- was also there. If you ask me, though, she looks more like the aunt of Kate Gosselin.

This woman was dressed EXACTLY like Palin on the cover of Going Rogue. Apparently, that even impressed Palin. This was snapped just after she asked Palin's father if he saw any resemblance, which he answered by nervous laughing her away. I've never seen anyone seek attention that desperately. Except for Palin, so the costume worked on several levels. Also: every woman there who wore glasses was wearing Palin-style glasses. Seriously. Every woman.

This woman was dressed EXACTLY like Palin on the cover of Going Rogue. Apparently, that even impressed Palin. This was snapped just after she asked Palin's father if he saw any resemblance, which he answered by nervous laughing her away. I've never seen anyone seek attention that desperately. Except for Palin, so the costume worked on several levels. Also: every woman there who wore glasses was wearing Palin-style glasses. Seriously. Every woman.

This sign pretty much sums up the feelings of everyone there.

This sign pretty much sums up the feelings of everyone that showed up for the event.

14 comments

  1. Is it possible to go rogue in Plano? I don’t think you can technically go rogue within 10 miles of an Applebee’s.

    @ 2:11 pm on December 4, 2009

  2. Just one of numerous reasons why I have absolutely zero desire to live, work or play in Plano.

    @ 2:45 pm on December 4, 2009

  3. Before accepting the nomination, she asked McCain,”What does a V.P. do?” Maybe before titling the book, she should have asked for the definition of rogue. Or, maybe it is a perfect description.

    rogue
    1. An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.
    2. One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp.
    3. A wandering beggar; a vagrant.
    4. A vicious and solitary animal.
    5. An organism, especially a plant, that shows an undesirable variation from a standard.

    @ 2:47 pm on December 4, 2009

  4. @meddling moderate…

    Maybe she meant to title it “Going Rouge”…

    @ 2:55 pm on December 4, 2009

  5. Zac:

    The “[sic]” goes after “American.” Also, it should be in brackets, not parentheses.

    @ 3:20 pm on December 4, 2009

  6. RAB: I thought so, but I guessed wrong. As for the brackets, I know that. But it screws up the code.

    @ 3:27 pm on December 4, 2009

  7. Longtime F’Bvians know I’m a pretty conservative guy, but this whole Palin mania thing creeps me out. Obama’s a wreck but she’s even less experienced and less capable. I don’t think I’d want her running my PTA, no less my country, and I don’t think she’s even genuinely very conservative, just right-reactionary.

    Also, I despise the fact that she’s ruined the phrase “Going Rogue.” It was fun (and descriptive) before she appropriated it.

    Finally, so long as I’m on a rant, anyone describing people who organize tea parties or attendees of tea parties as “teabaggers” should be ashamed of themselves. Please lift this discourse out of the gutter. If you’re going to strive to be taken as a smart and erudite person, using a filthy double entendre for your political opponents wins you no credibility and just makes you appear crass.

    @ 4:18 pm on December 4, 2009

  8. The crowd reminds me of something my husband and I witnessed in the cafeteria line at the zoo a few weeks ago (yes, we took our 2 year old.) The t-shirt read, “There is room for all God’s creatures… Next to the mashed potaties on my plate.”

    @ 5:06 pm on December 4, 2009

  9. rogue
    1. An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.
    2. One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp.
    3. A wandering beggar; a vagrant.
    4. A vicious and solitary animal.
    5. An organism, especially a plant, that shows an undesirable variation from a standard.

    @ 5:07 pm on December 4, 2009

  10. And to think I stayed home to wash my hair today when I could have been at this fabulous event with Caribou Barbie…

    @ 10:45 pm on December 4, 2009

  11. @Wes
    it is great to not fall in line with one party or another, you are right to pick and choose who you support ( not blindly due to a D or an R).

    @ 11:09 pm on December 4, 2009

  12. How come the real author didn’t turn up?
    Do they not invite ghost writers to book signings?
    @Wes; as a tea drinker, methinks you may have the dirty mind….the term “teabagging” is quite appropriate term in tea drinking circles (and not in a Throckmorton Mining Co sort of way!).

    @ 11:25 am on December 6, 2009

  13. I was at the book signing , a couple of people down from the photographer judging by the pictures, and I was wearing glasses NOT like Sarah Palin. What an elitist report!!! I assure you I wasn’t the only career woman who reads the WSJ there. Just because you think Sarah is a breath of fresh air doesn’t mean you left your brain in the delivery room. Snob!

    @ 8:56 pm on December 7, 2009

  14. check out http://www.getpalin.com for a clever take on this word that most Americans have come to know (if not dread… exceptions noted above…). Artist Archie Scott Gobber twists the meaning of this word PALIN’ with an apostrophe, giving a wink to the viewer, as the word becomes akin to a slang verb… Are these folks (above) goin’ PALIN’? or is that the shape our country would be in if things had turned out differently, PALIN’ in comparison? I could do this forever…

    @ 2:42 pm on December 12, 2009