Book dossier

The persecution of Sarah Palin

by Matthew Continetti

After her dazzling convention speech in August 2008, Sarah Palin was on track to win John McCain the presidency of the United States. Never before had a vice presidential candidate gotten such a strong response. Then Katie Couric and Tina Fey came along...Sarah Palin spent more than a decade making her town and her state better-she slashed government spending and corruption and encouraged economic growth. In 2008, she took to the national stage to bring her successful vision to the entire country. America quickly embraced her message, and Palin became the hottest rising star the country had seen in years.Palin was a strong and popular conservative with traditional values-work, family, and religion-and Washington Democrats and their allies in the so-called mainstream media decided she had to be destroyed. These elite liberals attacked everything from Palin's clothing to her parenting style to her church. They spread one malicious and untrue rumor after another, including claims that Palin:Had been a member of the separatist Alaskan Independence Party (New York Times)Had been a supporter of Pat Buchanan (MSNBC)Fakes giving birth to Trig Palin, who was supposedly her grandson (Atlantic Monthly)In addition to spreading lies and distortions, the media treated Palin with such insulting condescension that it frequently lapsed into mockery. Palin was routinely ridiculed and vilified-and so was her family.The liberal media did not succeed in one way: It was able to give the election to Barack Obama, a man with dangerous and radical ideas. However, despite the media's disdain, Palin persevered and remains one of the most important figures in the Republican Party. Because she speaks for Main Street America on issues from energy to health care, her star will only continue to rise.