So Why is the Palin Army so Strong?

Three years ago, when Sarah Palin was introduced to the nation, many people from across the political spectrum were electrified by her. The exception to that were those on the left and in the media establishment who were scared blind by the positive reaction the nation had to her. It was an emergency for them. They couldn't beat her on her record or her political positions so they had to go after her and her family personally.

The progressive movement has spent nearly a century infiltrating our country's politics, academia and culture. They were willing to go with Hillary Clinton but Obama was just too attractive and so dazzling to them that they dropped her like a bad habit and shot the works on him. They went all in. The "Shadow Party" felt it could come out now and fundamentally transform this thing with him at the top.

Then she happened.

As the revelations about the Journolist listserv show, the mainstream media was complicit in their efforts to try to destroy her. Remember, they were all in. They were ideologically committed to Obama after decades of Nixon, Reagan and Bush bashing. Why do you think people who don't follow this stuff as closely as we do think Palin said she can see Russia from her house? It's because they are more like Jay Leno's "man on the street" than they are their own thinkers and researchers. They believe what they read at face value. The mainstream media has been playing to these rubes for years by advancing agenda over intellect. Smitty at The Other McCain writes "The Progressive project is predicated upon the notion that the American people are sheep."

James Lewis at American thinker writes:

The Undefeated is a stunning documentary about Governor Sarah Palin against the lynch mobs of the left. These are not overly polite Adlai Stevenson liberals. They are radical throwbacks to Saul Alinsky and Jozef Stalin. They follow Alinsky and the ACORN rules.

More importantly, this is about a lot more than Sarah Palin. It's about money and power. Sarah Palin is the target because she and the Tea Party stand in the way of the progressive agenda. There were billions of dollars in green money (think cap and trade, alternative fuels, funny looking light bulbs, etc.) and investments in the coming of socialized medicine at stake in 2008 when the liberal media opened fire on her with all barrels. These people were about to take a bath if Sarah Palin succeeded in helping John McCain become president. The same can be said for the progressives who want to fundamentally transform America into a European socialist style democracy.

The fact that she hasn't gone away and still stands between them and their progressive agenda is just eating at them. Add to this the fact that negativity is a communicable disease. I don't have a problem with people who disagree with Sarah Palin, I have a problem with people who foam at the mouth and who go berserk at the mere mention of her name. Negativity is the devil's work. It is also reflective. It comes back at you. So when liberals complain that Palinistas are being a little less than civil, understand that the devil is a very crafty demon indeed.

Governor Palin is the antithesis to liberalism and progressivism. Her record in Alaska shows she's capable of busting up our hybrid socialist-quasi crony capitalist system. She is a threat to a lot of people who rely on the status quo that benefits them when wealth is redistributed through the tax code, 50% of the people pay no federal income tax and only those in the know with the right lobbyists and inside connections can get around the government made barriers to being successful. They will stop at nothing to destroy her.

When Governor Palin returned to Alaska, that's when the election should have ended. She should have been able to go back to being governor just as easily as John McCain went back to being Senator. But it didn't stop there.

During the campaign, a documentary group called The Wasilla Project ginned up several malcontents to lie about Sarah Palin and distort her record. For example, they falsely claimed that she made rape victims pay for their rape kits when she was Mayor of Wasilla. Their website was later scrubbed but not until after the "Thank You" page following Obama's win warned its readers to continue going after Sarah Palin because she would be back in 2012. I regret not keeping a screen shot.

After her return to Alaska, Palin was hit with the frivolous ethics complaints, which were filed by malcontents, fueled by the agenda driven Alaska Bloggers and picked up on way too easily by the mainstream media. This was all part of an overall smear campaign designed to destroy this woman., which she short circuited by resigning her governorship and sticking it to the media and the ankle biters by becoming a Fox News contributor, best selling author and sought after public speaker.

This only fueled the growth of the pro Palin movement. Supporters started blogs and websites when they saw Palin under attack. The Left and the media have basically created their own monster and now they struggle to contain it as it pulls the spitting high tension wires down on its way to the city of cronyism and socialism that she is about to destroy. There are hundreds of pro Palin blogs and websites across the internet. See if any of the other candidates have that kind of a following.

Ask yourself, why all the Palin sites? Why all the Palin bloggers and tweeters? The mainstream media attacks on Palin have been like a medicine ball and now her army's rhetorical stomachs are hard. They have become a well toned legion of well practiced writers, researchers and on the ground activists. Because they worked hard at battling with the mainstream media, they have become good at their craft. They strike with lightning speed and laser like precision.

So, when Conor Friedersdorf wrote that article about the empty theater, he lit a match in a foxhole at night and the Palin army nailed him. The Atlantic is a battleship that has been shooting missiles at her for the last three years and Friedersdorf just happened to put out his observation about the empty theater while standing on the deck of that battleship. The Palin army was all over that. He should have know he was going to get hit.

Palinistas are conditioned to be this way after how the mainstream media has treated her. They're committed to the mantra that there will be no free shots. This also applies to those on the right. Those who attack Sarah Palin will feel the wrath of the Palin army not because her supporters are mean spirited like liberals or establishment types, but because her supporters know you can't win a street fight by being nice.

The media will show you what they fear most. The Undefeated is a big deal. It's a game changer. Expect the media to go after it, lie about it and smear it. But after 3 years of fighting, the Palin army has no problem shooting down anything that the mainstream media can say from here on out.

My advice to the media: trash The Undefeated at your own peril. When liberals mess that close to the truth, they always get burnt. Oh, and keep your heads down low. We Palinista's are rhetorical sharp shooters and we fire at the mere thought of lying about Sarah Palin.


Listen to Patrick's World USA on BlogTalk Radio tonight at 11pm ET 8pm PT 7pm AK. Organize4Palin's Thomas S. Schmitz will be my guest to talk about The Undefeated.

Nancy French: What It Was Like to Co-Write the Bristol Palin Memoir

Today, US for Palin is pleased to feature Nancy French, the co-author of Bristol Palin's Not Afraid of Life. In "What It Was Like to Co-Write the Bristol Palin Memoir," Nancy gives her unique perspective on co-writing Bristol's book during the month she spent with the Palins. Nancy also co-authored Home and Away: A Story of Family in a Time of War with her husband David. He was in Iraq on the front lines while she was home. Track Palin went to the same province in Iraq, just a few days after David left it. This circumstance may have been a factor in Bristol selecting Nancy as her co-author.

Nancy shared with me that during her stay in Wasilla, she frequented the Mocha Moose on West Parks Highway, which brews Governor Palin's favorite coffee Good Morning Alaska. I routinely have 1-lb. bags of it shipped to my home and it is by far my favorite coffee as well along with its high-octane counterpart Whoa Nellie! The Mocha Moose proudly supports the Palins as evidenced by the "Dance Bristol Dance" sign on their building.

What It Was Like to Co-Write the Bristol Palin Memoir
by Nancy French
Reprinted in its entirety with permission

My friends and I huddled around my iPhone, as we listened to my agent’s voicemail.

“Nancy, Harper Collins wants you to submit your resume for an opportunity to write for a young Christian celebrity,” he said. “But I can’t tell you who it is.”

I never considered myself a “ghost writer,” since I’ve published my own memoir about being a southerner living in New York and a book about Iraq I co-authored with my husband about his deployment and it’s effect on our family. I was definitely interested, however, and the mystery only deepened my interest.

Immediately, my friends and I began guessing. Miley Cyrus? Taylor Swift?

Because I live near Nashville, Tennessee, I assumed they were interested in my geographic location as much as my writing ability. Surely, an up-and-coming country musician needed help with her book, and I was exactly the kind of local writer who could pop in and out with minimal inconvenience.

That’s why I was surprised to get a call from Harper Collins a few weeks later – after I’d figured I’d been passed over for a more typical ghost writer (excuse me, “collaborator”). “Can you be on a call with Bristol Palin in one hour?”

Immediately, I figured I wouldn’t get the job. Though I’d “collaborated” before, my efforts haven’t yet been published. Surely she’d want someone more experienced for a book that would be analyzed, dissected, critiqued, and attacked. Bristol was noncommittal in that first conversation, and ended it by saying “I just need to talk to my mom.”

I tried to imagine that conversation, Momma Grizzly herself having a discussion with her daughter about me – a writer who lives in the Mule Capital of the World, Columbia, Tennessee.

It seemed too surreal to be true. Within days, however, I was in Wasilla, Alaska.

“I can stay on your couch or wherever in your apartment,” I texted Bristol on the way. “I won’t be a nuisance.”

She sent me an address, and I was certainly surprised when I drove up Todd and Sarah Palin’s driveway. Ice cemented the ground under the snow, and Christmas lights decorated an iron gate. (White lights or colored? Guess in the comments section.)

“This is my parents’ house,” Bristol said as she came out to greet me. She looked great – young and fit in her yoga pants and North Face jacket. “You’ll be staying here.”

She led me to where I’d be living for the next month, in a detached building on the Palin’s property, where Gov. Palin films her Fox interviews. In fact, I frequently wrote perched high in her chair, with a frozen Lake Lucille outside the tall windows. Cars drove by slowly on the lake, no doubt taking photos of their house. Some did “donuts” and skidded around on the ice. A couple of guys were ice fishing. A moose slowly ambled across the frozen water and made his way to the Palin’s house.

Lake Lucille, frozen solid, as seen from Todd and Sarah Palin's house.

In fact, meeting the family was like walking into the TLC television show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” – a series I watched in its entirety on my flight. Bristol’s maternal grandparents Chuck and Sally Heath were there, as well as Todd’s dad. Sarah was busy in the kitchen making moose hotdogs (much better than regular hotdogs… and these had cheese in them!) and salmon. Track was sitting with his fiancé, who is now his wife, in the entryway of their house. (Track had been deployed to the same province in Iraq where my husband, David, served.) Willow – who has a very striking appearance with her dark hair and eyes — sat on the couch with her feet on a bear rug, while Piper came in and out of the house with friends. Tripp and Trig tossed a ball around the house.

That’s how I got acclimated to Alaska… moose hot dogs, family, and playing with the kids on the floor. Then, Bristol and I tackled the difficult task of documenting her life. Thankfully, she’s young, which meant we didn’t have to search attics for fifty year-old, faded letters. Plus, I was thrilled to learn that she kept journals of challenging times in her life. These writings documented her exact feelings in various moments, before time softened the memories. So, we sat and read all that she had written. One day, we sat with magazines and notes spread out on the floor, along with letters to – and from – Levi, lots of photos, and other trinkets.

“This is it,” she said. “My life.”

She wanted to be candid, she explained, so that other girls could learn from her mistakes. That meant a lot of very hard conversations about tough times. I felt at times that I should’ve shown up in Wasilla with a sign: Hello, I’m Nancy, and I’m here to scrape the scab off your deepest emotional wounds.

But Bristol, tough and honest, went through her life with me, year by year, event by event, as we drank coffee and watched the moose walking by outside the windows.

And that’s how I became a part of the Palins’ lives – lives that are shaped far less by politics than by the ordinary concerns of hearth and home. We went bowling with Trig and Tripp, had our photo taken as we ordered coffee, and shopped at Costco. Later, I’d stay with Bristol in her beautiful Arizona home, where people would honk at her on the interstate when they’d see her customized Alaska license plate.

Why tell a story like Bristol’s? She’s only twenty, people have repeatedly complained. However, these detractors are missing the point. While most of us haven’t made mistakes in front of a gawking nation, all of us have done things we regret… mistakes that seem innocent enough, but end up changing the trajectory of life. Her story is ultimately a story of redemption – a story of a girl who admits her mistakes and acknowledges God’s mercy in her life.

After all, she began the entire book with this sentence: “I lied to my mother.”

In spite of all her efforts to take responsibility, however, the Palin-haters came out in full force within seconds of the book’s publication. In those seconds, they somehow found the time to read the entire book (poorly-written, they say) and pronounce it full of excuses.

Full of excuses? They obviously hadn’t even creased the spine.

Eventually, the Palin-haters and the Palin-lovers evened out the Amazon ranking to a 3 Star. Out of 105 reviews, forty-four are 5 star and fifty-three are 1 star. One lonely reviewer gave it a 3 star review.

Has there been a more polarizing political family?

This fact alone makes Bristol’s story interesting. What was it like to have the biggest mistake of your life analyzed in front of half of America who idolized you and the other half who despised you? And what if that biggest mistake turned into the biggest blessing of your life?

Life is complicated, God is good.

That’s the message of Bristol’s book, and I’m honored to have been a part of it.

Reuters: Palin Fans Flock to see "The Undefeated"

The Daily Caller reported yesterday that "Palin fans are flocking to see The Undefeated]." The movie is currently playing in 10 theaters. It will go nationwide, because it has been quite successful thus far, with sales per screen surpassing every movie except Harry Potter.

On-the-ground reports have been filed by Jedediah Bila, and US for Palin authors Thomas Schmitz and Jelayne Sessler.

Video retrieved from The Daily Caller

H/T David Powell, Ohio State Coordinator, Organize4Palin for story lead.

Seniors: See "The Undefeated" for $5

Seniors can see The Undefeated for $5 Monday through Thursday mornings and all matinees. This a fantastic bargain. The discount is not applicable for evening showings. To purchase tickets, call 1-888-AMC-4FUN or visit The Undefeated website. The movie is currently playing in 10 theaters. It will go nationwide, because it has been quite successful thus far, with sales per screen surpassing every movie except Harry Potter.

One Mans Opinion

One Mans Opinion - 7/17/2011
By Dewaine Shoulders

Bill Mahar... IDIOT!

That's right! That exactly what I think of him (well, that and a few other foul words I'll not post here).

Here's what he recently said about Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin:

Now I'm not saying that sexism doesn't exist and isn't real, but we can't throw around the word "sexist" just to stop people like me from pointing out that Michele Bachmann, now running second for the Republican presidential nomination, isn't [sic] a dangerous nincompoop. And when I point out that Sarah Palin is a vainglorious braggart, a liar, a whiner, a professional victim, a scold, a know-it-all, a chiseler, a bully who sells patriotism like a pimp, and the leader of a strange family of inbred weirdos straight out of The Hills Have Eyes, that's not sexist. I'm saying it because it's true, not because it's true of a woman.

Mr. Mahar, that may be your opinion, and the First Amendment says you have the right to express those opinions (no matter how wrong or ignorant they happen to be). But the real point here is, just because you have a TV show, you think you have the right to say the things you do, and fellow Liberals agree with that point. On the other hand, if Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck or any other Conservative talk show host says something like that about a Liberal, they get crucified. The double standard is mind-boggling. It's okay for liberals to spew venom, but not okay for conservatives to do likewise?

Well, this is one conservative that's fed-up with the hypocrisy of the left.

Mr. Mahar, you have once again proven that you have venom flowing through your bloodstream. You are a supposed Libertarian, but your rants about any and all things Conservative are just plain wrong, and of course, ignorant! The only expertise you have, Mr. Mahar, is in being an ass!

Bill Mahar sits on his throne, holding court over a show called 'Real Time' on HBO (and I am thankful I do not waste good money on HBO), proves time and again why he's an ass... Everything the man thinks and believes about Conservatives is just wrong. He also has this belief that he's funny and wise. He trash-talks God, Christ and Conservatives like he's the final authority on all of them.

But what he is, IMHO, is a Liberal scumbucket!

And like others in the Liberal camp, they are judgemental of Conservatives, they hate all things Traditional American, and they hang out with like-minded liberals to make themselves feel intelligent and superior to the rest of America. They are filled with hatred, schooled in socialism, steeped with Nazi propaganda techniques, and practiced in the vile art of self-importance.

But how dare we have an opposing opinion of them. The world, according to Mahar and those Liberal asses like him is simply this: We're Liberals and everyone else is scum! Thus, Liberals like Mahar are prejudiced, ill-informed Nazi's that spew hatred, racism and sexism, calling it entertainment and opinion.

When a Conservative does something like that, they are labeled hate-mongers, racists, and homophobic Neanderthals. Funny how the First Amendment only works for them and the rest of us should STFU.

So, this message is to Bill Mahar: I am a Conservative, God-fearing, Sarah Palin supporter who happens to have also been, at one time in my life, exactly like you... A Liberal Scumbag! The difference is that I grew out of the liberal phase and became someone that respects Women, God and Country. I grew-up! I learned what being a patriot was all about. I learned what it means to be a REAL AMERICAN! Not some pompous ass that thinks calling Conservative women 'stupid' or 'inbreds' is funny. No, sir, it's not funny; it's a poor attempt at making yourself seem intelligent and better than the rest of us. In that attempt, you are sorely lacking!

You seem to only respect your opinion and those that think like you. God, Women and Country doesn't matter to the likes of you, because you are ignorant! You despise everything that has made America great and think your vision of America should be thrust down everyone else's throats whether they like it or not. You are, in essence, a NAZI ASS! An ignorant Nazi ass at that!

So, take your self-righteous, pompous opinions and do what you want Conservatives to do... STFU! Mainstream America sees exactly what the Liberal/Progressive agenda is doing to America. Tearing it apart for their own amusement. If you don't like America, then go away... Far away. Go hang out with Hugo Chavez, Castro, or Imanutjob over in Iran. They seem to be more to your liking anyway.

There was a bumper sticker years ago that seems to be fitting in America today:
AMERICA - LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!

I love my country. So does Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin. You, on the other hand, despise America because it's not the way you want it to be. Sucks being you, huh? Again, if you don't like it, pack your sorry liberal ass up and become an ex-citizen! Most of us would applaud your sacrifice... Hell, most of us would chip in bus fare to Europe. I know I'm in for a buck-fifty!

I certainly hope you do leave, and take the rest of your whiny Liberal (ass) friends with you. The property values in America would soar overnight, and the dead weight in our society would be gone. America would once again be FREE of you and your ilk. And that would truly be a blessing from God!

And as for your comments about Ms. Bachmann and Ms. Palin - When one of those ladies becomes president, I hope you'll show them the respect you want us to show the current Community Organizer in Chief. I truly doubt you would, because you cannot respect anything truly American! All you respect is the sound of your own voice (and that grates on the nerves of respectful Americans).

In the meantime, we Conservatives will continue to grow in numbers, and eventually we will chase you and your filthy liberal friends back into the dark ages... Where you belong.

So, finally, here's Mr. Mahar's own words again, only used against him:

When I point out that Bill Mahar is a vainglorious braggart, a liar, a whiner, a professional asshole, a scold, a know-it-all, a chiseler, a bully who sells liberalism like a pimp, and the leader of a strange family of inbred weirdo liberals straight out of The Hills Have Eyes, I'm not just saying it because I believe it... I'm saying it because it's true.

But that's just my opinion, I could be right!

The Undefeated Earns $5K/Screen though Saturday Night

Approximately $5,000 per screen through Saturday night

“What would have taken months and cost millions, ARC did in weeks with virtually no traditional media advertising”

Wider national rollout to commence in the coming weeks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Santa Monica, Calif. (July 17, 2011) - ARC Entertainment, the distributor of “The Undefeated,” the film about Gov. Sarah Palin’s rise from obscurity to national prominence, announced today that through Saturday night the film had a stronger opening than expected with the large markets trending towards weekend per screen averages above $10,000 driven by multiple sold-out runs. The film had accumulated approximately $5,000 per screen through Saturday night. Unique in the theatrical feature world, The Undefeated was rushed to select digital theatres in only 3 weeks, and was marketed almost entirely through social media and grass roots efforts, with virtually no traditional media spend. With the strong initial showing, the film is going to a wider release footprint later this month, with details being announced soon.



The film opened in 10 markets on Friday including Atlanta, GA, Dallas, TX, Houston, TX, Denver, CO, Phoenix, AZ, Orlando, FL, Indianapolis, IN, Kansas City, MO, Oklahoma City, OK and Orange, CA.



“We are extremely pleased with the audience reaction, which has been over-the-top enthusiastic and very passionate, including standing ovations at most screenings,” said Trevor Drinkwater, CEO of ARC Entertainment, the film’s distributor. “We expect word-of-mouth to keep ticket sales strong and we will definitely expand the film to a wider national audience. With merely three weeks of preparation and a virtually non-existent traditional advertising spend, the film did exceptionally well. ” .



“We have been told the theaters in Phoenix, Atlanta, Denver and Indianapolis moved the film to bigger screens to accommodate oversized crowds. Because of high-ticket sales, the Phoenix theater put ‘The Undefeated’ on two screens during one showing to accommodate demand,” stated Andy Badolato, VP Marketing and Business Development of Victory Film Group and Associate Producer of “The Undefeated.”



Over the weekend reports also documented the strong ticket sales and enthusiastic audience reaction. Reuters reported, “It may not be ‘Harry Potter,’ but another film featuring a bespectacled protagonist is racking up strong pre-sales before its national roll-out this weekend.” AOL’s Patch reported, “Reactions from filmgoers attending the screening were overwhelmingly positive.” The Brisbane Times of Australia reported, “‘The Undefeated,’ a documentary tracing Sarah Palin’s rise to political power, has opened in US theatres to overwhelmingly positive opinion.”



“ARC Entertainment and its digital distribution partner Cinedigm did an incredible job opening weekend,” said Stephen K. Bannon, the film’s writer and director. “This was a high risk bet- a national release in ten disparate markets with only three weeks preparation supported solely by social media. What would have taken months and cost millions in P & A, ARC Entertainment and Cinedigm accomplished within a month with negligible costs. This film will find its audience because of its appeal and our savvy distribution partners.”



“The Undefeated is the perfect example of how digital cinema can benefit both producers and audiences,” said Jill Newhouse Calcaterra, chief marketing officer at Cinedigm. “Starting with theatre location selection, we worked quickly – with precision accuracy- to generate a terrific box office result with virtually no marketing dollars. This is a new model that is going to benefit the entire entertainment industry and audiences who want to see unique products.”



“The combination of passionate audience response, sustained standing ovations and in-theater Twittering convinces us that this is a special film that will have incredible word-of-mouth,” said Glenn Bracken Evans, Victory Film Group co-founder. “The film’s website www.theundefeatedmovie.com has received hundreds of thousands of hits. I am truly amazed that in certain markets we will hit or exceed the $10,000 per screen mark given that we had absolutely no electronic media spend and only booked the theaters weeks ago. I’m particularly amazed we accomplished this in Phoenix and Orange County, two of the country’s most competitive markets during one of the toughest summer weekends and up against Harry Potter.”



Written and directed by Bannon and produced by Victory Film Group co-founder Glenn Bracken Evans and Dan Fleuette, “The Undefeated” was independently financed by Victory Film Group and its partners.



The film includes leading prominent political commentators Mark Levin, Tammy Bruce and Andrew Breitbart as well as conservative activists Kate Obenshein, Sonnie Johnson and Jamie Radtke. Additionally, the film features interviews with Alaskan civil servants, elected officials and advisors who were involved in Alaskan politics during Governor Palin’s tenure.



About ARC Entertainment

ARC Entertainment provides brand marketing, retail strategy, physical distribution and sales services for consumer products, with an emphasis on entertainment-based products. ARC Entertainment is a “solutions-based” distribution company. ARC Entertainment’s unparalleled relationships with national retailers, coupled with strong sales and marketing expertise, enables the Company to explore unique programs and business models for its content partners. The company develops creative and profitable retail marketing programs by connecting Intellectual Property and Content owners directly with retailers. This enables ARC Entertainment to truly align content development, investment and distribution with the requirements of retailers and their customers. ARC Entertainment monetizes Content in multiple revenue streams including: Theatrical Distribution, DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital, Electronic Sell-Through, Streaming, VOD, PPV, Pay and Free TV. ARC Entertainment.



About Cinedigm

Cinedigm is a leader in providing the services, experience, technology and content critical to transforming movie theaters into digital and networked entertainment centers. The company partners with Hollywood movie studios, independent movie distributors, and exhibitors to bring movies in digital cinema format to audiences across the country. Cinedigm’s digital cinema deployment organization, software, satellite and hard drive digital movie delivery network; pre-show in-theater advertising services; and marketing and distribution platform for alternative content such as CineLive ® 3-D and 2-D sports and concerts, thematic programming and independent movies is a cornerstone of the digital cinema transformation. Cinedigm ™ and Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. ™ are trademarks of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp. Cinedigm.com (CIDM-G)



About Victory Film Group

Victory Film Group develops, produces and distributes films that address today’s leading political, socio-economical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.www.victoryfilmgroup.com

For More Information

www.TheUndefeatedMovie.com

www.victoryfilmgroup.com

www.cinedigm.com/theUndefeatedMovie

Contact

Media Relations, Victory Film Group media@victoryfilmgroup.com

CRC Public Relations

hmcconnell@crcpublicrelations.com

ccarroll@crcpublicrelations.com

We and She: The Undefeated

By Mark America


I always approach such films with a bit of trepidation. After all, no matter how well done, the natural skeptic in me always wonders if such a movie will play only to a niche audience, but will be less appealing to a wider audience. This is the gamble with any such documentary, and it's why documentaries are not exactly the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters. Attending the opening night for The Undefeated at the AMC Theatre in Grapevine, Texas, I met a great number of like-minded people, all chomping at the bit to see the movie, or overwhelmingly pleased with what they had seen, but now I'm going to tell you why that won't matter if we don't take the salient lesson offered by the film and apply it to our activism: Stephen Bannon said this movie must be seen not by the people who already adore Palin, and support her wholeheartedly, but much more importantly, it must be viewed by the wider audience of people who have in some measure accepted the media portrayal of Sarah Palin. After viewing the film, I can tell you that while the film will be appealing to any audience, nothing will turn the closed minds of the intransigent Palin-haters, for whom no piece of information would be sufficient to change their pathological rage. It is most important to note that the film, for all of its effectiveness, will only be so effective as its viewing is broad-based. It will be up to you to see to that.



I learned tidbits about Sarah Palin I hadn't known, and was impressed with the depth of detailed information offered. I particularly enjoyed seeing clips of her speeches, particularly in the campaign season of 2010, that I hadn't seen before, and from which I had caught only media sound-bites including "fight like a girl!" The media has used such clips to trivialize Mrs. Palin, by pretending that the entirety of her speech on that occasion was summarized in the pronouncement of those four simple words. Now I know what I had only suspected previously: The media dare not show you the entirety of her speeches, because Palin is a passionate, well-spoken, and thoroughly polished speaker who knows what it is that she believes, and why she believes it.



The film raced by. I never found myself wondering about the time, or wandering mentally to other tasks. Few things hold my rapt attention for so long as did this film. Like Sarah Palin herself, the film was engaging. It wasn't only me. The audience, admittedly predisposed mostly to liking the film, also went through a bit of a transition starting from an expectation, moving to belief, and on to conviction. If one of the aims of this film was to more accurately give an accounting of Sarah Palin, it succeeded effortlessly.



I paid particularly close attention to the manner of things addressed by Mark Levin and Andrew Breitbart on the subject of the Republican establishment in DC. Breitbart's use of the term 'eunuchs' to describe Republicans in Washington and their failure to defend Palin when she came under withering attack seemed particularly apt, especially when considering Mitch McConnell's tepid stance on the debt ceiling of current controversy. "Eunuch" hardly ever seemed a more fitting term. Bannon was able to create what I believe to be an accurate impression of the GOP establishment that is more concerned with maintaining some pretense at political power than with serving the agenda for which the voters entrusted to them such power. It's clear that if you're a firm Romney republican, you may not entirely like the film's treatment of the subject.



The film is also intended to cause an emotional stirring in the viewer, and it succeeds in many moments throughout its length.The opening gives you a taste of the sort of attacks Palin has come under, many of which the media has not reported. Prepare to feel shame at what's been done. Steady yourself for the sadness at the realization of what's been done to this woman and her family. Know that it will anger you to see the litany of four-letter harangues and threats aimed at Palin. For a parent, in an emotional sense, it's a bit like watching helplessly as your own daughter is violently assaulted. If it doesn't get a rise out of you, you're likely dead inside, and this movie isn't for you. You may want to wait for the next 'zombie' film, not as a viewer, but as an extra.



After that, you become acquainted with Palin's early life through a sort of photo and video essay that shows you she was just another kid growing up in America, simply like you and me. After this re-introduction, Bannon details the challenges she faced in her political career, starting in Wasilla and ultimately culminating in her vice presidential candidacy in 2008 with John McCain. You will be astonished at what you hadn't known. You will be shocked at what the media had never bothered to tell you. It's small wonder that Palin coined the term "Lamestream Media." They are quite thoroughly 'lame' in the parlance of our time.



Tammy Bruce, Mark Levin, and Andrew Breitbart were the anchors to the latter portion, and their points were clear and unambiguous.Tammy tells you Palin is a fearless warrior for America. Mark Levin tells you why Palin can win if she chooses to run for the presidency. Andrew Breitbart explains why the Republican establishment is a greater obstacle, not only for Palin, but for all conservatives in moving the country forward. They all made compelling arguments, and perhaps the most enduring argument was offered by Levin in comparing her to Reagan. He's right, of course, but you'll have to see the film to know why he's right, and how thoroughly right he is.



Bearing this in mind, there's a point that cannot be made often enough: For this film to succeed, it must be seen. It must be seen by moderates and independents as well as its natural constituency. Those of you who already support Governor Palin now need to carry the film's message to the unconverted. Take people to see the movie who have mixed feelings about Sarah Palin. I went with my daughter and son-in-law. He's a soldier, and while he's a conservative, he was less than thoroughly convinced about Palin. His remarks on the long drive home from the theater told the story. He offered that it was odd, baffling really, to go to see a movie and feel so at home with his fellow viewers. Waiting outside, or during the previews, conversations struck up amongst complete strangers. He said it was a bit like being among family, and what he saw on the screen merely served to strengthen that sense. He wasn't just watching a documentary about a politician, but instead he saw his own life, and his own dreams and goals and aspirations. The picture of the Palins with their eldest son Track, in uniform, shown briefly on-screen, reminded him that they were just ordinary people, like us. The audience all around was more or less like us. This strange familiarity with one's fellow movie-goers wasn't so odd after all. The America in which we believe is not dead, and is evidenced in the reactions of the audience. These were Americans, and that's the only constituency group that mattered.



There's also a sort of restoration that results when you watch this movie. If, like me, you're terribly worried about the direction of the country, this film serves as both a reproach and a revelation: Do not so easily cede your beliefs to the conventional wisdom the media packages for your consumption, and while we face overwhelming and terrifying prospects, all is not lost. There is still time to save the country. It won't be done by a government run by elitists from the NY-DC corridor. It will only be done by us. This movie really isn't about an election, or a string of them. It's about the indomitable spirit of a warrior. It's about every person who rises despite the long odds and all the obstacles laid out before them. It's about seeing the machine gun nest and charging it, each of us in our own way. At heart, in all the ways it really matters, Sarah Palin is America. In spirit and devotion, despite all our travails, we and she are The Undefeated.