The authors of a book about the political rise of Sarah Palin say they are “confident” that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin wants to run for president in 2012.
Speaking at the Clinton School on Monday, Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walsh, authors of “Sarah from Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar,” said Palin’s populist persona and her embrace of the conservative Tea Party movement have angled her for a run at the White House.
“She’s really found a home that’s perfect for her there,” Conroy said of the Tea Party movement. “She’s able to portray herself as a populist folk hero.”
While she wants to run and has indicated such, winning a majority of the voters in 2012 will be an “uphill climb” for Palin, Conroy said.
Conroy and Walsh also discussed their book, which chronicles Palin’s journey from Alaska Governor to becoming the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee.
To write the book, the authors drew on their experiences as “embedded” reporters covering the 2008 campaign, as well as interviews with campaign staffers, top political minds, and Palin’s family, friends and foes in Alaska.
Video of this lecture will be posted soon at www.clintonschoolspeakers.com.