Introduction

We all know Sarah Palin when we see her: that sensibly-styled Tiny Fey doppelganger mother grizzly whose views of Kamchatka from the back porch are untarnished. A virtual unknown outside of her home state of Alaska until a surprise pick as John McCain's 2008 running mate, Palin has since made a name for herself decrying the alleged overreach of government into the people's lives, touting herself and her values across the country after the release of 2009 autobiography Going Rogue. She has become something of a figurehead in the staunchly anti-government Tea Party movement and as such, has attracted nearly 1.7 million fans on Facebook as of June 25th, 2010.

Tea Partiers continue to flourish in numbers, riding on a wave of anti-incumbent sentiment against a government that is somehow not providing an instantaneous solution for a serious international economic crisis. Rallying behind Palin and commentator Glenn Beck, among others, Tea Partiers hope to "take back the government." I know the invasion by Canada was brutal, but thankfully we can finally restore some good old Americans in the White Hou--oh, wait.

Now, Palin herself is an educated woman with a rich and varied history. Defying the stereotypes of a former beauty queen, Palin's erudition is widely accounted for; a 2008 interview with Katie Couric revealed her periodical of choice was "everything." Few of us even have the time to read the local news! But few realize that Palin is not the only brain on her side. Her followers are all genius in their own right as well. Comments left by followers on Palin's Facebook wall and notes range from the benign to the misinformed to the hilarious to the downright terrifying. This blog contains but a small sampling of the many nuggets of this faithful hockey mom's devotees have to share. Though I am withholding names for the sake of privacy, keep in mind that these people did knowingly post their commentary in a public forum.

This blog will vary from Palin Facebook quotes to an examination of some of the more frightening aspects of Tea Party life. You can only expect so much from a group that collectively refers to itself as "teabaggers." I hope we can all learn something from these people. In fact, I know we can. You betcha.