Hot on HuffPost:

See More Stories

Sarah Palin's Dark Universe: Vanity Fair's Profile

1 year ago
  0 Comments Say Something  »
Text Size
Sarah Palin is a 21st century enigma.
She posts on Facebook and within minutes hundreds of people have either clicked "like" or left a comment, usually incredibly flattering, about Palin's message. She Tweets, the media writes.
She has turned a losing vice presidential run into superstardom, becoming a political rock star in the vein of Bill Clinton. Palin could very well be pondering a presidential run. She visits Iowa later this month to headline the Iowa Republican Party's annual fall fundraiser.
Vanity Fair, a haven for profiles of presidential wannabes, now gives Palin her turn. In the magazine's October issue, writer Michael Joseph Gross explores the complicated days and nights of Sarah Palin.
Gross had his work cut out for him.
Palin has a circle of defend-to-the-death loyalists, including some of the folks in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, business partners and staffers. Gross writes that people who know her well would not talk about her on the record, some out of loyalty others "because they fear she will exact revenge" as he put it. Some "political strategists, longtime Palin friends and political associates, hotel staff, shopkeepers and hairstylists, and high-school friends of the Palin children" dished about Palin on the condition of anonymity. He wasn't able to talk with Palin herself.
It's not a flattering portrait of a woman who may very well want to be this country's next president.
"There's a long and detailed version of what they [Palin's associates] had to say, but there's also a short and simple one: anywhere you peel back the skin of Sarah Palin's life, a sad and moldering strangeness lies beneath," Gross writes.
Some highlights: Palin, always control-happy, has a big temper. She does not tip well, if at all. She has a short attention span. She's a poseur when it comes to hunting. (Never has hunted, said one family friend.)
Even before she was plucked out of Alaska by presidential candidate Sen. John McCain to be his running mate, Palin had a sense of entitlement "fueled by persistent feelings that she was under appreciated," Gross writes. She has become accustomed to the glamorous life. She flies in private jets and drives a "gleaming new Escalade ESV with tinted windows." Oh, and FOX News may be building a studio on her property.
Her political empire is shaped by loyalists who include lobbyist Randy Scheunemann, a director of the neoconservative think tank Project for the New American Century, and Kim Daniels, a lawyer with the Thomas More Law Center. Two male staffers who worked for George W. Bush serve as Palin's confidants and personal assistants. Palin uses a code name, "North Star." Wherever she stays, hotel personnel know to direct hair stylists to "North Star's" room and she sprinkles the North Star reference throughout her speeches, which are booked by NorthStar Strategies. Gross writes, "An Amazon.com store called the North Star Group, maintained by a Palin blogger, 'sells Governor Palin's books, and numerous products she has referenced or is known to use,' such as the red Naughty Monkey Double Dare pumps she often wears."
In Alaska, her relationships with some former aides have either deteriorated or are non-existent although Gross couldn't land interviews with any of them. Within her family, Palin controls the message. She has told her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, to never speak to media -- ever -- without her permission. When Gross attempts to do so at a July 4th parade, he's quickly told he is not following orders.
On an intimate level, Gross paints Palin's universe as one with increasing isolation from her friends, family and even her husband, Todd. One frequent former Palin houseguest told Gross that "Todd would often joke, 'I don't know how she ever gets pregnant.' "
Another friend said Sarah and Todd once got so mad at each other that they took all the canned goods from the pantry and threw them at each other. The refrigerator looked as if "it had got shot up with a shotgun."
The same friend told Gross, "As soon as she enters her property and the door closes, even the insects in that house cringe. She has a horrible temper, but she has gotten away with it because she is a pretty woman." The friend also hinted that Palin has used her sexuality to get her way, telling Gross that Palin once told her, "I'm gonna put on one of my push-up bras so I can get what I want tonight."
Even Palin's children seem disenchanted by their mother from time to time. A former campaign aide recalled to Gross, "You're just putting on a show. You're so fake," one of the children said when Palin made a point of praying in front of other people. "This is not who you are. Why are you pretending to be something you're not?"
Gross never meets Palin through his travels with her on the road or in Alaska, but he does end up in front of her house, where a metal North Star on a gate points upward.
Filed Under: Sarah Palin, Woman Up

Our New Approach to Comments

In an effort to encourage the same level of civil dialogue among Politics Daily’s readers that we expect of our writers – a “civilogue,” to use the term coined by PD’s Jeffrey Weiss – we are requiring commenters to use their AOL or AIM screen names to submit a comment, and we are reading all comments before publishing them. Personal attacks (on writers, other readers, Nancy Pelosi, George W. Bush, or anyone at all) and comments that are not productive additions to the conversation will not be published, period, to make room for a discussion among those with ideas to kick around. Please read our Help and Feedback section for more info.

Comments

347 Comments

Filter by:
Comments are no longer accepted for this topic.
usivegas

Why is it, when someone doesn't like someone in politics they are called stupid, ignorant and so on. The fact is, no one who reaches this point in politics on either side does so because they are dumb, stupid, or ignorant! The ones who talk this way are those with little brains. For what it is worth, I have met Todd and talked with him for several hours and found him to be a person very down to earth, loves is family and talked about hunting and fishing at times with Sara. I certainly would tend to believe what he told me over a reporter who can't name names. For someone who knows nothing, she sure draws a lot of support and is very well like in her home state!

September 03 2010 at 12:24 AM +5
chadandshelby

This is a total gossip magazine article with nameless friends, associates, neighbors "some say", neighbors say, someone was overheard saying". Where is the truth and substance. Very caddy! Shelby

September 03 2010 at 12:02 AM +3
jenmarpatt

He explained why his sources were unnamed and I, for one, believe him, especially in light of the fact that I have heard stories told about her in a similar vein over the years. As for the left bring afraid of her, you are absolutely that we are scared. Here is the thing, though: we are afraid of the people in this country who think she is intelligent, competent, and would make a good president. We are fearful of the ignorance that runs rampant on the right.

September 02 2010 at 11:52 PM -1
2 replies to jenmarpatt's comment
Michael

I could not agree more.

September 03 2010 at 12:00 AM +7
runer58

I agree I fear her getting elected. The American electorate elected Bush, he tooks us into two wars, one which was totally unjustified. There is enough evidence out there that, 9-11 may have been avoidable with Info provided by the Clinton Administration. So if Bush could get elected so can she and that is scarey as hell to me.

September 03 2010 at 5:12 AM -1
lavieestbreve

The question is not so much whether or not she has a temper--every one feels anger, even a lot of anger, at one time or another. The question is how is that energy used? To push forward projects for the greater good, to show outrage at injustice and poverty--or is it used to intimidate, punish, abuse? I'm not so much interested in what she says; promises are cheap. I want to look at her actions and the results of her actions (or inactions).

September 02 2010 at 11:18 PM +4
bcre146868

The left really does tell us who they are afraid of..............!

September 02 2010 at 9:48 PM +5
1 reply to bcre146868's comment
Michael

Just to repeat: The left is not afraid of Palin, rather the fascination is more like an obscene curiosity. She is the veritable slow train wreck that you are horrified to watch but can't turn away. Like the reality show one may follow and know but not sympathize with the principle, she is that one. Folks can't get enough of seeing the inevitable and predictable disaster. I think the left and a number of moderates are excited about the prospect of her run for the White House. At the end of the day it will just be her on the international stage, alone, exposed (figuratively), and finally displaying her vacuousness.

September 02 2010 at 11:46 PM +5
TB

Media 'Chinese Water Torture' treatment continues.....unsurprising, to say the least. America has popped wise, guys. Your support of Zero has cemented your fate.....enjoy the layoffs; you ain't coming back.

September 02 2010 at 9:41 PM +1
ANGELA

There are none so blind as those who will not see! The sad thing today is that everyone is under a microscope, can't say it's all bad either, but people go after others like vultures and there is no sense of right or wrong. Time has warped peoples values and ethics. We are so far away from what is good that we can't see goodness when it's there. Perfect no, no one on earth is. Some of the politicians personal lives leave a lot to be desired, so everyone should stop for a minute and look in the mirror and think about what you would be like if in their shoes. She loves God, her husband and children and her country! That says alot to me.

September 02 2010 at 9:36 PM -2
mcgowann

Joe Gross only cited one actual person, Coleen Cottle. She said that Sarah Palin "had no attention span" and "does not understand math or accounting" Wow, how scathing. (sarcasm intended) The rest of it, we can assume was made up since we can't verify any of it. Imagine how much easier it was for Joe Gross not having to waste his time doing interviews. Now I will add Vanity Fair to another gossip rag I refuse to read along with, New York Times, LA Times, Washinton Post, Newsweek, O Magazine, More Magazine. You have to ask yourself, "would this hold up in court." Absolutely not. What bothers me most is what it says about the integrity and moral character of today's media. There was a time that no paper or magazine would print a more than 10,000 word article without being able to prove it was true. Not true today, not in Vanity Fair and not with Joe Gross.

September 02 2010 at 9:35 PM +1
onemightylight

The truth is that she was the "crowd draw" that kept McCain in the running. As to why she resigned, please admit the truth. The dems had the money to spend and were told to go after her. Her church was even set on fire at all entrances, and it was proven to be arson. The dems tossed frivolous lawsuits at her until she was spending all her time fighting them instead of serving as governor, which she had done a superb job with. But for the sake of her state, she resigned to give them a full time governor and she had over $500,000 in attorney fees thanks to those dems. DO NOTE THAT SHE DIDN'T LOSE ONE CASE TO THE DEMS, they just forced her out of office by putting her in debt and that's why she conceded to go ahead and write her book. As it turns out, she's done an outstanding job of endorsing people for office, people do listen to her and identify with her. GREAT JOB, SARAH!

September 02 2010 at 9:16 PM -1
newfrock8

I think Vanity Fair is very biased and would go to any length to smear Sarah. Every leftist is just jealous of her success.

September 02 2010 at 9:10 PM +6

Follow Politics Daily


  • Comics
robert-and-donna-trussell
CHAOS THEORY
Featuring political comics by Robert and Donna TrussellMore>>
  • Woman UP Video
politics daily videos
Weekly Videos
Woman Up, Politics Daily's Online Sunday ShowMore»
politics daily videos
TV Appearances
Showcasing appearances by Politics Daily staff and contributors.More>>