Going Rogue: An American Life (69 page)

I also recalled Barack Obama chastising a reporrer in a nationally televised interview, insisting rhat his family was “offlimits,” And rhe press obeyed They left his kids alone, as

has generally been the tradition. I couldn’r recall much scrurIny of any of the candidates’ children … Biden’s, McCain’s, .. and I was glad for them. But nothing about the campaign would be like others.

I walked out into the larger suite just as Maria, a shy young staffer assigned to the VP media team, entered the room.

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SARAH

PALIN

Headquarters, Maria told me, had elected to issue a statement in response to news reports about Bristol. In my name. She didn’r know who had written it.

Maria handed me a printout. “Statement of Gov. Sarah Palin on the pregnancy of her daughter, Bristol: ‘We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and they mean everything to us. Our beauriful daughter, Bristol, came to us with news that, as parents, we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We’re proud of Bristol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents.’ “

I was pretty shocked. “‘Bristol and the young man she will marry are going to…”’ I stopped reading.

I looked up at Maria. “No,” I said. “That’s certainly not the message we want to send.”

We were
not
giddy-happy that our unwed teenage daughter was pregnant, as the press release suggested. Todd and I were proud of Bristol’s selfless decision to have her baby and her determination to deal with difficult circumstances by taking responsibility for her actions. But in no way did I want to send the message that teenage pregnancy was something to endorse, much less glamorize.

I got a pen and marked up the printout, drafting a more serious statement that balanced concern with a message of love for my strong, but, truthfully, embarrassed daughter. I knew we had only one shot to get the right message out there concerning this life-changing event. Then I handed it back to Maria, who relayed
it to “headquarters.”

My cell phone rang. It was Bristol.

“Mom! The whole world knows about this. It’s bad enough that Wasilla knows, but now the
whole world
knows.”

“I know, honey. It’s going to be okay. I’m really sorry.”

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Going Rogue

Bristol sounded heartbroken. “Why is this even
news? I’m
not running

anyrhing! What do 1 have ro do with this?”

“You’re right, you’re right. This shouldn’t be rop news, and I’m sorry it is. We’re going to get through this together, okay?” Silence on the other end, punctuated. by deep breaths.

“Bristol?”

“Okay .. :’

“1 love you, honey. You’re brave and you’re strong, and it’s going ro be okay.”

“Thanks, Mom. 1 love you, too. But 1 hate this morning, and 1

feel like I’m going to throw up.”

1 hung up the phone and turned to the television in the living room, just in time to see a new scroll across the botrom of the

“Gov. Sarah Palin on teen daughter’s pregnancy: ‘We’re proud of Brisrol’s decision to have her baby and even prouder ro become grandparenrs.’ “

What?

Maria was jusr coming back inro rhe room. “I don’r ger it;’ 1

said. “This is the statement 1 specifically said 1 did
not
want released.” Maria srared at rhe screen and her mourh fell open. “1 … don’r … 1 gave headquarters your edirs … they knew …” The incidenr senr a clear message: Whoever “headquarrers” was, they were firmly in charge. And if they weren’t going to let me speak my heart and mind even about an intimate issue affecting my own what
would
they let me speak to?

Perhaps it was just an honest mistake, and 1 was willing to give them the henefit of the doubt. But after a few similar incidents, 1 questioned Schmidt about what headquarters would and would not allow me to say. Schmidt was a busy guy; he didn’t have a lot of time to elaborate, no doubt. He replied coolly, ‘Just stick with the script.”

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SARAH PALIN

Most campaigns prepare press briefing guides on their candidates-fat three-ring binders indexed into multiple categories, including a detailed bio, a history of accomplishments, policy positions, and copies of significant speeches and statements. The McCain campaign had evidently been very, very busy, and had not had time to compile any press material that explained who I was or what my record represented. I was told later that the McCain communications team learned the name ofJohn’s vice presidential pick at the same time everybody else in the country did. And to make matters a bit more challenging, my family, friends, and political associates were under strict instructions not to talk to the media. So when the avalanche of press inquiries rumbled in, the national media,folks had
zero
information. What they did report, patchy factoids cobbled together from the Internet and a few leftwing Alaskan bloggers, was usually wrong. Immediately after the August 29 announcement, planeloads of national reporters and opposition researchers descended on Alaska. There was genuine reporting, but also extensive dirtdigging, which included oppo researchers hopping from store to store in Wasilla asking clerks, “Does Sarah Palin buy liquor here?” These black-suited, laptop-toting flatlanders weren’t hard to spot. They’d never been to Alaska before and needed a field guide to the local political scene. With their editors back in New York and Washington screaming for copy ro feed hourly news cycles, they took whatever they could get and weren’t too careful about vetting their sources, who included a defeated former opponent, a maniacal blogger, the falafel lady, and the Wasilla town crank. These “credible sources” didn’t help the media’s credibility in the eyes of Alaskans who knew them. Remember John Stein, my mayoral rival in Wasilla? He got busy again, this time giving interviews about me right after my .

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