Review: America by Heart

I had actually started a quite comprehensive critique of American by Heart - Sarah Palin's latest book. But, screw it. If Sarah's book can have a shoot-from-the-hip-folksy feel to it, so can my review. (Note: I will find a way to work at least on You Betcha! into this review).

As stories go, I found the book to contain little that was new. I felt like it was the book version of the narrative coming out of the Republican party for the last two years or so. It was like reading a highlights real: everything from Jeremiah Wright to Bristol Palin's Dancing with the Stars is mentioned. With the exception of the last chapter on Palin's own take on Faith and Leadership, there wasn't really anything new for me in here.

And it's packed full of wonderful gems like:

The deep unrest in America today wasn't caused by the color of the president's skin but the content of his policies. And more and more, it seems that the starting point for these policies is the liberal view that the Constitution is a flawed document. (p24)

Really? Liberals hate the constitution? Really?

Or this one:

We have a president, perhaps for the first time since the founding of our republic, who expresses his belief that America is not the greatest earth force for good the world has ever known. Now, I know that sounds a little overblown to many educated liberals, a little jingoistic. But so many of us do believe America is the exceptional force for good. America is not a perfect place. We have made mistakes, and allowed some terrible things in our history. Given the sordid historical record of virtually every other country on this planet, however, I think our pride in America is perfectly justified. Yet our current president seems to see nothing uniquely admirable about an America that fought two world wars and sought not one inch of territory or one dollar of plunder...(p264)

Really? Obama doesn't like America enough? Really?

This is just silly. I mean, it would be silly, but enough people want to believe this crap that when Sarah Palin says it, it becomes true. And thanks to this book not only has she said these things, but they're in print. So it definitely has to be true.

I really, truly wanted to like this book. I really, truly wanted to say that if I had grown up with Republican parents, surrounded by Republican friends, I'd totally be down with this book. But, I just can't. It's too shallow, too simplistic and too willing to fudge the facts when the story demands it.

Oh fooey, I'm at the end of the post and I didn't manage to work in a You Betcha. Am I disappointed? You Betcha!