Palinmania Sweeps the Nation

Unless you live under a rock, you know Sarah Palin's book Going Rogue was released this week and you know the former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice Presidential Candidate has been everywhere. Traveling the country, making stops to do interviews and sign books, Palinmania has swept the nation, attracting both positive and negative attention. Media personalities from Martha Stewart to Washington Post book reviewer Ana Marie Cox have bashed her and various media outlets continue to speak untruths and spread rumors about Palin. The Associated Press even assigned eleven reporters to fact-check her book (comepared to the two assigned to the health care reform bill), but the American people are still lining up to support her like never before.

Going Rogue sold a record-breaking 300,000 copies on the first day of its release and the day after, the former Governor began a thirteen-stop book signing tour that hits cities in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. Attendees are waiting in the streets to get an autograph and camping out overnight in the cold, just to get a glimpse. But most people have probably seen or heard Palin interviewed on a number of radio and television shows. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Levin, Bill O'Reilly, and others have had their chance to question Palin about everything from some nasty rumors to her plans for the future. Here's a look at some of the things she's had to say.

When asked about running for president in 2012, Palin told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly that she felt she was qualified but wouldn't confirm whether or not she planned to run. Oprah's audience snickered when Palin told the talk show host that she wouldn't confirm her plans with her, even if she were planning to run for office again. Of John McCain, she calls him a "patriot" and "friend" but doesn't have a lot of great things to say about his campaign staff and the way they treated her during the 2008 election. Of the now infamous Katie Couric interview, she insists she didn't answer the question about what publications she reads because Couric was treating her rudely.

When Rush Limbaugh asked the former Governor what her goal with the book is and who she's trying to reach, she responded,

Just everyday, hardworking Americans who want government back on their side and I want to help them have their voice be heard. And the book is all about that, and the book is about my record and my accomplishments as a mayor and as a governor that kind of lay the foundation for Americans to see where it was that I was and how I got to where I am. It was just a lot of hard work and it was a lot of very commonsense measures that I undertook politically and practically speaking, and the book is about that, and hopefully people will read it and enjoy it and learn something from it.

While those sort of topics are making the headlines, Governor Palin has also spoken out about a number of current issues the nation is facing and what needs to be done about them. From the economy, "Let's go back to what Reagan did" and "stay committed to those free market principles" to the topic she seems to know a lot about, energy, "What is complicated about tapping into abundant, safe domestic supplies that could provide stability for our country and security for our country?"

Love her or hate her, one thing's for certain, Sarah Palin causes a stir whenever her name is mentioned!