Product Description

Who is Sarah Palin and what does she believe in? People around the country -- and indeed the world -- had more questions than answers when John McCain announced her selection as his running mate on August 29, 2008. Has any national political candidate ever emerged on the American political scene with less scrutiny than Alaska Governor Sarah Palin received prior to her selection?

Whether you believe Palin was nominated because of years of hard work in Alaska, as a result of a reckless decision by her 'maverick' running mate, or because of the influence of the religious right, you probably want to know more about this remarkable political phenom.

Hours after John McCain shocked the nation by selecting Palin as his surprise Republican running mate, journalists, activists, and ordinary concerned citizens began to research and write about Palin's biography, public statements, and political background. The flood of information and commentary has been torrential.

For those who would like some help sorting through all the hype about Sarah Palin, Sue Katz's Thanks But No Thanks: The Voter's Guide to Sarah Palin is the perfect solution. Katz distills the overwhelming glut of information about Palin into a highly readable and fast-paced voter's guide about the woman who may be elected vice-president in 2008 and who could well serve as president one day. From Palin's days in Wasilla to her leap into Republican super-stardom, Katz helps you to better understand this intriguing candidate.

While remaining true to her own strong point of view, Sue Katz looks beyond the lipstick and the sound bites. Thanks But No Thanks synthesizes information and commentary from a wide range of sources so that readers of any political persuasion will find help in educating themselves about just who Sarah Palin is and what her election might mean for the country and the world.

This book is for voters who want to go beyond the usual campaign 'puff piece' biographies and learn about Palin's known views on everything from community organizers to women's issues to the relationship of faith and politics. Thanks But No Thanks provides the reader with access to interesting voices from around America and the world, and they all have something insightful to say about Sarah Palin.

In addition, the publisher has included several valuable appendices that will serve as handy references for voters and debate-watchers: a year-by-year chronology of key events in Palin's life, a detailed history of Palin's performance in past elections, and the full text of Palin's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #551636 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
'Sue Katz is just the she-bear to wrestle Sarah Palin's image back down to earth. Forget the myth about the GOP's latest superstar--Katz will show the real motivations behind Palin and where she comes from.' ----Susie Bright

'Sue Katz's meticulously researched book cuts through the media fog and political doublespeak, bringing the facts about Sarah Palin into sharp resolve.' --Harriet Lerner, author of The Dance of Anger

About the Author
Author and teacher Sue Katz has published journalism and political commentary for many years and is the creator of the popular blog, Sue Katz: Consenting Adult. Her passport shows more wear than Palin's--she has lived and worked on three continents, teaching martial arts in her institutes in Israel, promoting global volunteerism while living in Europe, and writing, editing and teaching (from salsa to senior fitness) in the United States. A rebel with a newfound interest in electoral politics, Sue continues her lifelong commitment to social justice activism from her home outside Boston. She attended Boston University as an undergraduate and earned her master's degree from Tel Aviv University. Her second book, an edgy and unabashed look at the private behavior of boomers, is due in 2009.

About the Cover

The unique collage portrait of Sarah Palin was created expressly for the Thanks But No Thanks cover by artist Sandy Oppenheimer. Her well-deserved international reputation reflects this distinctive style, and her creations are as affordable as they are exceptional.

Customer Reviews

INSIGHTFUL AND INFORMATIVE
I've been hoping for many weeks that the McCain camp would have provided more background information on Gov. Palin by now to help voters better understand who she is and what she's done. What's happened to date is sad and unfair to voters: she's given few interviews and gives a lot of canned comments when campaigning and speaking in public. This has really bothered me because I consider myself a moderate so I try very hard to learn what both sides are like in any presidential campaign and I don't always vote in lock-step with my party. Thankfully Sue Katz has written an informative guide to help people like me learn more about the candidate and help me make a better decision next month when I vote. It's a good read, and just in time for the vice presidential debate tomorrow. Definitely worth the price and more.

Didn't Expect Love Poem But Also Not a Vitriolic Spewing
I'm sorry I can't agree with the other reviewers. By the title, I didn't expect a love poem to Sarah Palin; but I also didn't expect a vitriolic spewing against her. I expected a fair rendition of facts "so vigorously researched." Apparently Ms. Katz doesn't like Sarah Palin because Sarah Palin is a conservative, Christian, anti-feminist, the exact opposite of Sue Katz. While Ms. Katz' own words seem to indicate that she does not believe in Jesus ("Oh, I forgot, I'm one of the heathens who, for too many reasons to list, is simply not going to be among those with god-given visas to Alaska"), she doesn't hesitate to invoke Jesus' name when it suits her ("Jesus was a Community Organizer, Pontius Pilate was a Governor.) She talks about "the truth," but then praises Hilary Clinton. Does anyone remember "the truth" of the Clinton presidency?

Let me say that I am a white female. Most of my friends consider me a liberal. I think of myself as a moderate but not a feminist. I believe in gay rights, civil rights, pro-choice and Jesus. While Ms. Katz would require that I produce them, I do have good friends of both sexes who happen to be gay.

I volunteered to read this book and write a review. By doing so, I got a free MSWord copy e-mailed to me. I preferred to buy it from Amazon so I could read it on my Kindle. I now feel cheated.

Radical feminist hatchet job
The author spends much space critisizing Governor Palin for her alleged disparagement of 'community organizers', without explaining the context. For a whole week prior to the GOP convention we heard much snearing reference to 'small town mayors' as obviously inadequate experience for presidential office. Palin was merely pointing out that is was as good as being the 'community organizer' touted by Obama, and better since it was an executive experience. Yet Katz build this up to make it seem that Palin was attacking anybody who had ever engaged in grassroots voluntary work

This author's perspective is that of a radical gender feminist. And, like many of her ilk it is simply a question how best to destroy the character and competence of someone, who clearly does not share these views. After careful examiniation of about 60 negative assertions about Sarah Palin, I have concluded that all are either verifiably false, are based on distortions, are inventions, are trivial, or if the were committed by Democrats would be ignored or overlooked. There is no compelling evidence that Governor Palin has ever tried to ban books, believes or has tried to pressure schools to teach creationism, or holds 'end times' religious convictions. Nor is there any evidence that her personal religious convictions have ever interfered with her political duties and decisions as Governor. Indeed she upheld the Alaskan constitution on same sex benefits, rather than accede to social conservatives in the Alaskan legislature, or what might have been her own personal leanings. Sarah Palin was also elected Governor and has enjoyed high, and continued to enjoy very high approval ratings in a state with a very high proportion of independent voters (43%). She was also elected by confronting corruption in her own party. Barrack Obama sailed through Chicago Democratic politics apparently without noticing anything and avoiding all risk. The less said about how he really defeated his rivals there the better. Katz sees the words 'conservative', 'Christian' and 'pro-life' next to Sarah Palin's name, and cannot restrain her calamly/hysterical liberal bigotry.