TEMPE, Ariz.—Hundreds of Sarah Palin fans flocked to a Costco store in Tempe on Tuesday to meet the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate and to have her sign their copies of “Going Rogue.”
Many stayed in line overnight in 45-degree weather wearing thick coats, wool socks, gloves and blankets, and attempted to sleep in camping chairs and against a concrete wall. The first person in line, Drew Sweatte, got there 27 hours early.
“I would have waited a week in Alaska temperatures for this,” said Sweatte, 23, of Palm Springs, Calif. “It was everything I hoped it would be and more.”
Sweatte said he thanked Palin for being consistent and told her he was praying for her and her family.
Mark Smith, 46, of Mesa, lucked out and caught Palin on the way into the store after she avoided most of the hordes. He shook her hand and told her, “You’re even lovelier in person.”
“Wow. That pretty much made my week,” Smith said. “My knees are shaking.”
Palin, who carried her youngest child, Trig, on her hip, shook several people’s hands and told them to “keep up the good fight” before going inside to sign books. Her parents also signed some of the books.
Palin began her book tour Nov. 19 in Michigan and is scheduled for 15 more signings across the country in the next 10 days.
In “Going Rogue,” Palin confirms reports of discord between her aides and those of former running mate, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Palin said she was kept “bottled up” from reporters during the campaign and denied the chance to deliver her own concession speech on Election Night last November. McCain emerges unsullied in the book.
Those in Tuesday’s crowd said Palin should have been allowed more freedom during the campaign.
Robert Mace, who wore a cowboy hat and a T-shirt that read “Stop communism. Impeach Obama,” said he thought McCain was too much of an establishment.
“I think that she was throttled during the campaign and not able to speak her peace,” said Mace, 70, who lives half the year in Mesa and the other half in Parker, Idaho.
Darlene Dederick, 68, a snowbird from Colorado who lives in Apache Junction during the winter, agreed.
“I felt really bad for her because she was thrown into a situation that she had a lot more talent than they allowed her to expose, and they looked down on her because she came from Alaska and I think that was a big mistake,” Dederick said. “Just because you don’t come from Harvard or the Northeast doesn’t mean you don’t have the ability.”
Dederick was No. 222 in line, had one book signed and got to shake Palin’s hand.
“I’m going back to my RV park and I’m going to stand in the clubhouse and brag,” she said.
The rules for the crowd were laid out by a spokesman for Palin’s book tour, who said no personal photos of the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate were allowed. People in line also were required to be Costco members and show receipts that they bought “Going Rogue” at the discount retailer.
Fred Solop, a political science professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, said Palin events are attracting similar attention across the country.
“It’s not typical that appearances like this are sold out, that politicians have such acclaim, but she’s clearly a superstar in some circles,” he said. “She’s someone who is clearly making a splash nationally and we should all be watching to see what’s next.”
