2nd Half of Chapter 2

The second half of Chapter 2 focuses on Palin’s run for lieutenant governor, her experience on the AOGCC & Troopergate.

Palin begins by mulling her options for her life after being mayor of Wasilla, whining that her options were limited, due to the fact that she “did not think [she] would do well in a place where you had to scratch disagreeable backs in order to secure a nameplate in the caucus.” (81) I’m a little befuddled as to why Palin is so committed to public service, as she seems to find campaigning & other politicians so distasteful, but she does decide to run for lieutenant governor. Palin blasts those who question her experience by saying, “government experience doesn’t necessarily count for much.” (84) Funny considering she said this about Barack Obama, “If you're talking about executive experience, I would put my experience up against his any day of the week.” (source) She, again, brings up how she’s such an outsider, saying, “I wasn’t part of any political machine, or the Juneau good ol’ boys club, so I was definitely seen as the outsider.” (85) Maybe nobody wanted to back her because she is such a whiner/perpetual victim. She eventually loses the lieutenant governor’s race, but is relieved because she knew she “would not be beholden to special interests going forward—if there was a political ‘forward.’” (88)

Palin ends up on the list for the next US Senator, as Gov. Murkowski was vacating his seat. After meeting with him, she realizes she won’t get the job, as he kept stressing to her how hard it would be on his kids. She says to Todd, “it’s not going to be a woman with a family.” (92) Palin is shocked & appalled that Murkowski gives the job to his daughter, a mother with 2 children. Of course, Julie Murkowski got the job via nepotism, not because she was objectively more qualified for the job than Palin. Per Murkowski’s Wikipedia page:

She became a member of the Alaska Bar Association in 1987. She was an attorney in Anchorage, Alaska from 1985 to 1998. She also served, from 1990 to 1991, on the mayor's task force on the homeless.

In 1998, she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives and named as House Majority Leader for the 2003–2004 session. She never served as Majority Leader, due to her appointment to the Senate. Murkowski sat on the Alaska Commission on Post Secondary Education and chaired both the Labor and Commerce and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committees. In 1999 she introduced legislation establishing a Joint Armed Services Committee.

I find Murkowski’s experience to be far more impressive than Palin’s time on the city council & 2 terms as mayor as Wasilla. But, of course, nobody could be more experienced than poor Sarah, so it was nepotism that gave Murkowski the Senate seat.

Palin speaks of her time on the AOGCC committee, whining on & on about how everyone was corrupt & mean but her. Palin eventually resigns, as she cannot take the corruption anymore. She “knew that any shot [she] might have had to become a GOP insider was gone, which was fine, but I wanted Alaskans to be able to believe in the party ideals again. I knew the GOP planks made the strongest foundation upon which to build a strong state and country.” (99) It’s interesting, because some believe that Palin resigns purely for political reasons—to strengthen her electability and that might be behind why she resigned from her governor’s job.

Palin whines about how she’s discriminated against as a woman, saying “as a working mom I would have to make tough choices. She never said that one couldn’t ‘have it all,’ but it was becoming clear that maybe one couldn’t have everything at once.” (86) Wow. No shit. I’m 24 & I’ve figured that one out. It took Palin 4 children & 38 or so years to figure that out. Wow.

There is also some hilariousness where she calls out Democrats as being Marxists. “Some people seem to think a profit motive is inherently greedy and evil, and that what’s good for business is bad for people. (That’s what Karl Marx thought too.)” (84) The horror! With the Democrats in power, we will definitely be headed toward communism.

Palin again shows how special God thinks she is by writing, “I knew that God was working on something significant in our small-town life, and I felt myself seeking something ahead. Still, I prayed to be content with what I had, even if that meant that my political career would end in Wasilla City Hall.” (83) I find it odd that Palin honestly thinks that God gives two shits about her political life.

Palin speaks of Troopergate & of course, has to completely throw her former brother-in-law under the bus, calling him everything from a philanderer to a drunk to an abusive husband. Palin writes that “this sad family episode would later be twisted and used as a political weapon against me and John McCain.” (102) I have to question the validity of Palin’s claims against her ex-brother-in-law, Wooten as Judge Suddock said "'it appears for the world that Ms. McCann and her family have decided to take off for the guy's livelihood -- that the bitterness of whatever who did what to whom has overridden good judgment.' A representative for the Alaska State Trooper's union testified that the union viewed the dozen complaints filed by McCann and her family against Wooten as 'not job-related' and 'harassment.' Judge Suddock repeatedly warned McCann and her family to stop 'disparaging' Wooten's reputation or risk the judge granting Wooten custody of the children. At a court hearing in October 2005, Judge Suddock said 'disparaging will not be tolerated—it is a form of child abuse … relatives cannot disparage either. If occurs [sic] the parent needs to set boundaries for their relatives.' (source) It sounds as if Palin’s family was trying to make this guy’s life a complete & utter living hell.

The chapter ends with Palin contemplating her future, as she wonders what is next. HMM, wonder what will happen??