The Dark Side of Wasilla

You've read plenty of Sarah Palin profiles, but nothing captured the gonzo spirit of her Alaskan hometown quite like this week’s New York piece by Mark Jacobson. There are moose and megachurches to be sure, but also the seamier side, like the meth-heads of West Wasilla: "Get a gander at the browned-out dentition and know those boys have been cooking the nastier white lightning.” Jacobson illuminates the love-hate relationship that has emerged between the denizens of Wasilla and their homegrown star. They're overjoyed Palin put Wasilla on the map, not to mention the $1,200 she added to everyone's oil dividend check. They're less happy about the McCain operatives crowding the local hotel bar: "Don't look like local talent to me.”