1. On Meeting Bristol Palin
“But when I looked over at Bristol, who was holding her baby brother Trig, I remember thinking two things: That poor girl looks shell-shocked and why does she have a giant blanket covering her stomach? (pg. 28)
2. Daughter Like Father
“Like my father, I have always been more of a craps girl than a strategic poker player. Actually, roulette is my favorite game. Screw it, I thought. Let’s spin the wheel and see where the ball winds up.” (pg. 33)
3. The 2000 Presidential Campaign
“I told her [my sister Bridget] I believed in karma—and that what goes around comes around, and those events will live with President Bush and Karl Rove, his creepy campaign 'mastermind,' and with the individuals from the Christian Coalition who helped orchestrate it and helped push polls.” (pg 45)
4. Hillary Clinton
“As a woman, I have to admit that I admired her dogged energy and amazing encyclopedic brain. She won all the debates, as far as I was concerned, while Obama always seemed out of his depth and foggy. Every time Hillary opened her mouth, even if she wasn’t actually saying something serious, she seemed impressive, so articulate and razor sharp.” (pg 87)
5. Sarah Palin
“On the other hand, she wasn’t much of a team player, was she? The more I saw of her, the more perplexed and fascinated I was. And it was only the very beginning of a very long roller coaster ride as I tried to make up my mind about her, and never could.” (pg 149)
6. Palin’s Star Power
"Sarah was basking in a kind of golden haze of glory—who could blame her? She was not just an overnight success or even a political Cinderella story. She was a sudden, freakishly huge, full-fledged phenomenon. It seemed too much. And it seemed too easy. From my chair across the way, I watched with incredulity. I had never seen anything like it, even in all my travels with Dad." (pg 121)
7. Palin Family Baggage
"The Palins were nice and down-to-earth. I've said that before. And I mean no disrespect to them when I say this, but when they arrived from Alaska and unpacked their bags, they brought dramas, stress, complications, panic, and loads of uncertainty. And they brought a tabloid-attention-getting quality my family has never had--and God willing, never will." (pg 115)
8. Her Father
“To me, my father is an iconic figure, outspoken and honest, an old-school American hero. His character had been strengthened by the unimaginable things he’d been through. To be honest, I wasn’t able to read his memoir, Faith of Our Fathers, which includes descriptions of being a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The thought of my dad having to endure something like that … well it was just too hard for me, too painful, to read about.” (pg 154)
9. Forget the GOP
“My father and family had given so much to the Republican Party over the years, but I didn’t want to give anything more. The party couldn’t see or admit how damaged it was. And I didn’t want to stick around and watch it—losing its way, forgetting its heart, missing its chances, completely missing the point. That night I was standing at its funeral and saying goodbye.” (pg 171)
10. The Morning After the Election
“Plans for winning? Oh, we had lots of those. My father had spent the last two years talking about nothing else—all the things he was going to do when he won, the things to fix, the war, the economy, health care. But now the talking had stopped. The rallies were finished. And I woke up in my parents’ guest apartment in Phoenix alone in bed and wearing my gold glitter dress and a smeared game face of election night makeup.” (pg 173)
11. The Day After Election Day
“I was being pulled over.
The officer said I was going 85 mph. He asked why I was speeding.
‘I’m sorry, Officer,’ I said, handing over my driver’s license. ‘My dad just lost the election to Barack Obama.’
This is possibly the best excuse I’ve ever had for speeding. He gave me a warning.” (pg 176)
12. The GOP's Future
“I am not saying we should abandon the core ideals that the Republican Party was built on. I am saying it is time to remember them.
It is time to return to honoring the individual. We need to make room for all Republicans. Today! Not tomorrow, but right now.” (pg 190)
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