Going Rogue: An American Life (97 page)

Going

Despite the previous all-nighrer and rhe pundits’ swan song for our ricket, I

great. I felt

After voting, we jogged

across the street ro the well-lit line of partisan demarcation to greet some dear friends … and a large gathering of international reporters.

Well,

good!
I thought:

tiny town making news

the world!

Jason took a couple of phone calls and I saw him shaking his head. Someone from headquarters was calling to tell the B Team to “Pllt her back in the truck!” The instruction was not to allow Todd or me to talk to the reporters who had traveled all the way to Wasilla.

Nah, not this time,
I thought,

walked over to finally say hello.

Afterward, we scooted back to the trucks and began the policeescort motorcade back to Anchorage. After a quick run through a couple of coffee stands, we stopped at my brother-in-law’s gas station for snacks.
It
seemed fitting that after some hundred-plus interviews across a hundred-plus cities, plus 130 campaign events, some of them glitzy, our lasr off-the-record campaign stop was at an ordinary family business.

As we boarded the campaign plane bound for Phoenix, I was confident but prepared to accept America’s decision. Kris and I talked about the possibility of miracles. We honestly believed it could happen. We would not be surprised if voters entered the booth and pulled the lever

the GOP despite what the polls said.

No matter what happened, though, I knew that personally I was much better off depending on God’s plan, not my own. It’s easy to forget that in the chaos of a national election. But when life invariably leads me hack to that truth, my perspective and I find

peace amidst all storms. Stepping back onto the plane, I silently acknowledged my human weaknesses, consciously handed my future to God, and asked

His wisdom, strength, and grace.

• .3.3 1

•

SARAH

PALIN

17

In the week leading up to the election, Matthew Scully and
I,
along with a quiet, levelheaded speechwriter named Lindsay Hayes, worked on a speech I would give on election night. The national media had already given the McCain campaign last tites. But the B Team refused to give up.

By election day, Matthew, Lindsay, and I had two speeches in our back pockets-one victory and one concession. I wanted to make sure that in either case, the speech focused on two things: reminding Americans of what kind of man John McCain is and what he had promised to do for the country-and moving forward, uniting with a new administration, while still holding it accountable where we disagreed. We wete committed to this, to stand strong for Ametica. Either way, I wanted to focus on giving a shout-out to John and to tell our nation, “Thank you for the honor of a lifetime for my family and me. We are so proud to be Americans!” I also wanted to say a word-finally-in appreciation of the Bush-Cheney administration’s efforts. I was so happy to have my family and friends in Arizona with me. Todd’s parents had flown in all the way from Dillingham. Mom and Dad and my siblings and their families. Todd’s siblings and step-siblings. Martin Buser, the Iditarod musher, had flown down with his wife. Todd’s Iron Dog partner, Scott Davis, and his wife made the trip. Meg Stapleton, Kris and her family, some of the kids’ friends. And they were from all these different little towns across Alaska whete you have to dtive for hours or fly in a puddle jumper just to get ro Anchorage so you can then leave the state. After that, it’s a four-hour trip just to get to the Lower 48. Then
another
flight to get down to Arizona. I was glad that they’d all enduted the journey to be together on this amazing .