The Undefeated changes a mind at RedState.com

"Shame for not bothering to look up her record. Shame for not reading her story."
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I knew Ben Howe back in my front page contributor days at RedState.com. Like all of my other former colleagues there, Ben is a person of outstanding character. They are good people, the RS family of front pagers, and I still feel honored to have had the chance to work with them and share a friendship, even though it was an electronically networked one.

I parted company with RS after only six months of writing for the site. While I wanted to write about Sarah Palin all the time, I was eventually advised to broaden the scope of my subject matter. This I would have been happy to do, but I decided to leave because a virulent anti-Palin streak ran through the place -- not so much among the front page contributors, most of whom that were hostile to her hid their hostility -- but among a group of member commenters "down in the diaries."

These people delighted in mocking Sarah Palin, and by extension, Palin supporters, all of whom they considered to be nothing more than "bots," much like the moonstruck moonbats who worshiped at the altar of Obama or the "Ronulans," whose devotion to Congressman Ron Paul was and is nothing short of creepy. The refusal of the website's moderators to apply to the mockers the same rules that all RS members were supposed to be governed by was the final straw for me. Though it was Gov. Palin's record and her experience with energy issues that had made me one of her supporters, I was treated like I was some love struck 13-year old by this bunch. I don't want her on a pedestal, I want her working in the Oval Office working for U.S. energy security and cutting the federal leviathan down to size. I'm too old and time is too short for puppy love. Again, these mockers are not the front page contributors. In fact, these RS members have contributed very little to the site over the years except for standing on the sidelines and casting stones.

Since RS and I went our separate ways, I haven't followed it too closely, except to look in on the site from time to time. Despite some mostly favorable treatment by a couple of front pagers, Sarah Palin doesn't get much bandwidth on the main page there. But Stephen Bannon's Palin documentary may be about to change that.

Now, with Ben Howe's review of "The Undefeated," we may be seeing a little crack in the wall of Palin skepticism which surrounds Red State. Ben, like a number of other contributors was never a Palin mocker. But also like many of his colleagues, he tolerated them. Read some excerpts from his review of the film, however, and it seems that Ben may just be somewhat less tolerant in he future of those at RS who mock the first woman to be both governor of Alaska and a vice presidential candidate of the Republican Party.

I didn’t think she’d really done much in Alaska, or if she had, that it was enough to act like she was the second coming of Reagan. I thought that her contributions when being interviewed were bubble-gum and lacking of any real substance. I would never finish hearing a story about her and think, “Wow, I never thought of that before.” I just didn’t see that she had that much to offer.

There was so much media coverage of Palin, and so many people that were incredibly unfair to her, that I had been desensitized. I didn’t realize it, but I had actually developed a sort of immunity to believing anything positive about Sarah Palin.

[...]

I pride myself on my ability to know when something is baloney, almost instinctively. On Sarah Palin, I was so incredibly hoodwinked that the one word that my wife and I agreed described how we felt after watching it, was shame. Yes of course invigoration, satisfaction and all the other things you experience when watching a good film, but about how we had handled our vetting of Mrs. Palin, shame was the word that best described it.

Shame for not bothering to look up her record. Shame for not reading her story. Shame for turning the channel when she came on the tv. Shame for not listening to people that we had a great deal of respect for like Andrew Breitbart, Tammy Bruce, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

As Breitbart points out in the film, the greatest shame is that while this woman was savaged to degrees you may not even realize yet, some of us sat back and let it happen. For me to buy into the media template and not defend someone who’s only offense was being a conservative, is the absolute antithesis of what I stand for, and something that I shall never allow to happen again.

I urge you to see this film when it hits theaters tomorrow. And I urge you to put aside your preconceptions about who this woman is. You don’t have to think she should be the next president to believe that the way she has been presented, even by conservatives, has been completely wrong.

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It's a blog cliche to say,"Read the whole thing," but it would be a shame if anyone reading the above excerpts of Ben's piece fail to do so. It is honest, insightful and very well written. Ben is now on a journey of discovery about a remarkable political figure, and I commend him for giving the governor a chance by watching "The Undefeated." Now if only a few other major contributors there will watch the film, who knows? RedState.com may even begin to start taking Sarah Palin seriously.

- JP

John P. Meyer reviews 'The Undefeated' for Pegasus News

"The visuals are enhanced by dramatic orchestral background scoring..."
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Pegasus News is an online news and entertainment site focused on the DFW area covering neighborhood news, the local music scene, top restaurants and the like. The target readership for this genre is active people of sufficient means to still have an item in their budgets tagged "nightlife" in an economy, which even in Dallas-Ft. Worth is at best lukewarm. John P. Meyer is Pegasus' "film guy," and he was in the audience at the AMC Grapevine Mills 30 for a special Thursday night screening of "The Undefeated" for community leaders and media types. Here are a few excerpts from his review:

Stephen K. Bannon's filmmaking approach here is straightforward storytelling style, with talking head interviews with Palin associates comprising the meat of the material. He spices up the narrative with sweeping scenes of the Alaskan countryside, Palin baby pictures (she was a cute kid!), and occasional tongue-in-cheek stock footage visuals presented as a means of illustrating a point. (Think: dollar bills being flushed down the toilet; slick suited, sunglasses-wearing corporate executive types debarking from private jets; an anonymous politician cringing in fear as he answers the phone, presumably in receipt of news that "Whistleblower" Palin's on his case.)

Palin herself contributes a good bit of narration to the film, which also features video footage contemporary with her career as Wasilla mayor (two terms), and her demonstrably successful stint as Alaska's reform-minded, consensus-building, limited-government-advocating governor, prior to the McCain team's V.P. invitation in August 2008.

As her many sweeping legislative successes are being extolled, in fact, I wondered to myself why in heaven's name she would have chosen to resign the governorship upon her presidential ticket's defeat. To its credit, the film goes on to address that point with an explanation involving the spate of ethics complaints filed against her (which, even if false, she was constrained to defend against out of her own pocket). As a consequence of some kind of Republican establishment backlash, it's implied, her efforts to foster passage of even the most mundane of legislative measures during this period were undermined.

So she resigned for the sake of the state, the way the movie tells it.

The visuals are enhanced by dramatic orchestral background scoring (credit David Cebert), inspirational in tone as Palin's successes are being extolled, and then ominous as we hear about the inimical forces operating to take her down.

The last segment of the film chronicles Palin's fundamental influence on the Tea Party movement, and documents her ongoing central role at some of its rallies. It's at this point where the film turns downright evangelical in tone, inspiring our particular audience to break out in chants of "Run, Sarah, Run!" as we approached the end credits.

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Meyer concludes that as an in-depth "subject-friendly biopic," the film succeeds "fairly well." He does offer some constructive criticism, however.

The critic thought the documentary was too long and suggests that it be edited down to an hour and a half in length. Director Stephen Bannon has already addressed this point in interviews. He says the finished product run two hours because he felt that depth of detail was essential to tell the story of Sarah Palin's struggle which led to "the catharsis of her convention speech and the once-in-a-lifetime run she went on at those early rallies." Most of the people who have pre-screened "The Undefeated," according to Bannon, say it actually feels much shorter than its two-hour length because the film moves at a rapid pace. Meyer seems to be the exception on that score.

Meyer's other complaint is a bit of nit-picking. In the film Gov. Palin says that her legislative agenda boils down to "three words: the natural gas pipeline" (Meyer's quote). This, he feels, is an apparent "verbal gaffe" which should be edited out of the final product. But in this case, the word "the" was not an essential part of her agenda. "Natural gas pipeline" is three words by our arithmetic. At any rate, what the governor said hardly rises to the level of absurdity, unlike Joe Biden's attempted schooling of John McCain, when he said "...the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be, as Barack says, a three-letter word: jobs. J-O-B-S."

- JP

The Power of 'The Undefeated': A Review by Josh Painter

The film impressed me with its great potential to change minds and thus change the game.
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Here's a challenging assignment: write a review of Stephen Bannon's potentially game-changing documentary "The Undefeated" after a number of appraisals have already appeared in both old and new media, from large market newspapers to suburban dailies, from Breitbart's "Big" websites to "mom and pop" blogs. The film has been evaluated by reviewers of varying political persuasions from conservative to centrist to "progressive" feminist. They have approached "The Undefeated" from nearly every conceivable angle.

Some of the critiques are noteworthy for their excellence, including Dan Riehl's most eloquent assessment, in which he explains how the movie penetrated through his tough-guy defenses and touched him emotionally; Lisa Mei Norton's superbly detailed appraisal, in which she dares her readers to see the film; and John Nolte's politically-charged review, in which he expresses his disgust with a corrupt media which hid the real Sarah Palin from much of America, while inventing and promoting a surrealistic and demeaning caricature of the governor.

These are tough acts to follow. Reviewers of "The Undefeated" at this stage of the game have to try to plow new ground, but we can't escape a walk down some paths already traveled. So this review is meant to be neither synoptic nor rousing. That's already been done, and done very well. Instead, I'll just touch on the three major impressions the documentary left on me after viewing it for the first time.

The first of these is the initial "Three Minute Hate" sequence, which has a powerful emotional impact on the viewer. Much has been made of the foul language used by some of the more notorious among the Palin-hater demographic and how it will require director Stephen Bannon to market two versions of his film so PG audiences won't miss out on the opportunity to view it. The angrier extremists of the far left can't seem to communicate without resorting to gutter language, like so many of today's stand up comedians who use filthy epithets as a crutch to get through their acts. Lacking the creativity and talent of great comics such as Bill Cosby, Bob Hope, Jonathan Winters and Bob Newhart, this generation of comics are more than just several cuts below the greatness of the masters of their craft. But I suspect general audiences who see "The Undefeated" will find the intensity of the hate for Sarah Palin to have more shock value than the four-letter words used to express it. Coming at the beginning of the film as it does, the Three Minute Hate overwhelms the viewer with the irrationality and pathology of the attacks made against Gov. Palin. Viewers with a conscience will not be able to avoid the feeling of revulsion and even outrage over the extreme degrees of nastiness pursued in the efforts to destroy the woman. Those left of center, but of good character, will instinctively want to distance themselves from such vileness, which is exactly what the filmmaker wants them to do. Only then can these viewers, the main targets of the documentary, give Sarah Palin an even break and grant her a fresh appraisal.

Moving from the emotional to the intellectual, audiences can't help but be impressed by the accomplishments of the governor they see on the screen, as they witness the fiscal restraint, "servant's heart," and overall competence which rewarded her with impressive approval ratings in office, at least before the 2008 presidential campaign. Energy independence has always been a top issue for me, and as we see in "The Undefeated," it is for Gov. Palin as well. It is this issue which initially pulled me into her political orbit when I first began to pay attention after reading "The Most Popular Governor" by Fred Barnes nearly four years ago. Before I was even made aware of Sarah Palin, I was on board with her on the security and economic necessity of this nation deriving much more of its oil and natural gas from domestic exploration and production, while importing much less of it from potentially unreliable foreign sources. Not only would it be a shot in the arm to our ailing economy, it would help create hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of jobs. This made economic sense even back when the unemployment rate was almost half of what it is now. Today, it is nothing less than mission critical if we want to put America back to work.

Finally, the film impressed me with its great potential to change minds and thus change the game. Even if it does not move them 180 full degrees from the media-created Palin perception, that's not a problem. "The Undefeated" doesn't need to have that much of an impact on everyone who experiences it. The hard left will never give Gov. Palin an even break, but they're only about 20 percent of the population, so they aren't relevant to the mission of the this documentary (aside from the fact that they helped to perpetuate the media-driven lies about Sarah Palin by repeating them over and over again). Very few radical leftists, members of an even smaller subgroup, will even bother to watch the movie anyway. All this film need do is persuade those who sit for it to give her a second look, one not contaminated by media misrepresentation. Given that criteria, I believe that it will be a great success.

As a committed Palin supporter, it's difficult to put myself in the mind of a fence-sitter, and as a Reagan conservative, just as hard to try to image the thinking of a moderate or independent who fell for the anti-Palin media hype and accepted it as Gospel. But I do know a few things about communication and the psychology of marketing, and I'm convinced that if enough people - registered voters in particular - get the chance to see this powerful documentary they cannot help but be moved by it and have it challenge their preconceptions. Again, change enough minds, and you have changed the game. That's the emotional and intellectual power of "The Undefeated."

- JP

Lisa Mei Norton's Review of ‘The Undefeated’

"Sarah Palin IS The Undefeated."
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Here are some key excerpts from Lisa Mei Norton's review of the documentary film which speaks the truth about Gov. Palin to the corrupt Obamunist media's lies:

Sarah Palin IS The Undefeated.

By the time you finish watching this superbly scripted and produced two-hour documentary about the former Alaskan Governor, if you don’t come to that conclusion, you were either asleep during the film or you still believe that “Community Organizer” trumps true executive experience and success as qualification to serve as America’s Commander-In-Chief.

[...]

As the film takes us through the fascinating journey that is Sarah Palin’s highly successful political career in Alaska, it is clear to see she has always been a tough-as-nails executive who understood her role as a servant for the people during her time as Mayor of Wasilla, as Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Chairwoman, and as Alaska’s most popular Governor. We see her take on the Republican establishment, big oil, corruption, ethics reform, and tax reform and stare down the ugliness and smears she faced from her political foes and the mainstream Alaskan media with uncommon valor and a fierce, tenacious spirit. She, like a Marine, always ran toward the danger instead of away from it and took on the huge issues nobody else dared to. With every new challenge the naysayers claimed there was no way she could do the job, that she was not strong enough, that she lacked the “gravitas”, and didn’t have a good understanding of the issues. She proved them all wrong…and remained undefeated.

She didn’t just talk the talk…she walked the walk. When it came to fighting corruption within her own Administration, she said “In politics you’re either eating well or sleeping well”. She always chose the latter.

[...]

This is a must-see film that “Palinistas” will absolutely love and will allow Palin skeptics to see what the media has so successfully isolated — hidden in plain sight. I dare you to go see it.

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A special screening of "The Undefeated" is just hours away for the The RightOnline conference, a convention of conservative bloggers tonight in Minneapolis.

Meanwhile, Stephen Bannon, the force that is bringing the two hour documentary to the screen, has a team on the ground in Iowa scouting possible venues for the premiere of "The Undefeated" next month:

The filmmaker behind a new documentary on Republican Sarah Palin said Friday his team is scouting Iowa farms, town squares and other casual settings for the upcoming premiere of "The Undefeated," a movie that has contributed to fresh speculation about her 2012 plans.

Stephen Bannon said he wants to debut the film somewhere that captures the "Iowa-ness of it all" and connects it to the message of populist "grit and tenacity" he's delivering about Palin. It traces Palin's life from before she became Alaska governor past her GOP campaign for the vice presidency and aims to explain how she became a face for the tea party movement.

- JP

Dan Riehl: ‘The Undefeated’ is our story, not just Sarah Palin’s

"All Sarah Palin ever did was speak out boldly for many of us."
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Here are some excerpts from Dan Riehl's eloquent review of The Undefeated. It is so well crafted, in fact, that it speaks for itself. No additional commentary is required:

From my first viewing of a rough cut of “The Undefeated” over a week ago, to re-visiting the opening four times now, as an individual deeply passionate about conservative politics – even if often expressed confrontationally, I’ve not been able to get through it once without checking back tears born of a mix of emotions - from sadness and anger, to frustration and deep concern. I’m not ashamed to say, on more than one occasion, said checking failed.

However, the tears are not for, or about, Sarah Palin. I consider myself a fan, certainly, but am not so naive as to entrust my entire politics and beliefs in any one person, or political figure – not even Ronald Reagan. It’s the painful realization of a broader truth for America and America’s current politics that grabbed me up and invested me so deeply in Bannon’s film. Besides, why cry for Sarah Palin, she is and remains “The Undefeated,” in the grand scheme? At no time does the film take on what would have been an unfortunate tone, that of making her appear a victim, somehow. Palin is a fighter and a survivor, as the film makes abundantly clear.

Beginning with the very end of Senator John McCain’s introduction of then Vice Presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, at the 2008 GOP convention, one sees, first the Palin children and family, then a glowing Palin take center-stage – cutting away before she utters a single word. But what might, or should, that moment have meant to earnest conservatives of a more populist strain looking in at the time?

Here was a woman hardly known, at least nationally, thrust into the limelight, a woman, potentially - it was thought - capable of giving significant hope and inspiration to grassroots conservatives not as excited with the McCain nomination, as they might have been, ideally. The expectations upon her that night were all but surreal.

Like many, I had no idea if she would deliver, or crash and burn in just one more bit of political miscalculation by the McCain campaign. Yet, instead, she soared! Sarah Palin delivered what many a sincere conservative wanted and needed to become excited about the 2008 race. And she went right on doing it throughout the Fall – and continues to do it, even now, in many ways.

And for that and that alone, what did she get? Cut to the next three minutes of the opening of Bannon’s “The Undefeated,” as the likes of Matt Damon, Rosie O’Donnell, David Letterman, Bill Maher, and so many others, hurl insult and slander one after another at her: slutty, idiot, retard - with a retarded child, moron, c*nt, cartoon, hockey mom, tw*t, a nice looking parrot, dumb, get out of our face, stupid bitch … and on it goes – until this day, to a degree. But that’s only because Palin’s still standing, true to form and film, she remains “The Undefeated” even now after all of that.

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- JP

Rob Bluey: Indie Sarah Palin flick could alter 2012 political landscape

"It's a powerful story of an amazing woman"
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Rob Bluey, director of The Heritage Foundation Center for Media and Public Policy, has written a review of "The Undefeated" in a Washington Examiner op-ed. What Bluey found most compelling about the film is that it has the potential to help reverse the negative perception of Gov. Palin that was created by the corrupt media which got Obama elected:

Long before Sarah Palin became one of America's most polarizing political figures - reviled by the left and critiqued by the right - she was an extremely popular governor of Alaska with a record of major accomplishments.

Years before emerging on the national scene, Palin rightfully earned the "maverick" label for taking on corruption and shaking up the establishment in Juneau.

But to this day, the story of Palin's rise to power remains largely unknown outside of Alaska. While it was part of her best-selling book, "Going Rogue," Americans have heard a different tale from the liberal media - one that portrays Palin as an unintelligent, conniving politician who poses a dangerous threat to the country. It began on Aug. 29, 2008, and hasn’t stopped since.

A new feature-length documentary by conservative filmmaker Stephen K. Bannon seeks to change that perception. It tells the incredible story of Palin's groundbreaking rise in Alaska and foreshadows the unpredictable future that awaits.

I was among a small group of reporters from Washington to view the film recently. It's a powerful story of an amazing woman, but also a sad tale of a life changed forever.

"The Undefeated" is already generating buzz as a film that could alter the 2012 landscape. It will debut later this month in Iowa, home to the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses.

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Bluey says Bannon told him that even liberal theater owners are "clamoring for a chance to screen the movie, realizing that Palin’s story is a lot more remarkable than even they realized."

You can follow "The Undefeated" on Twitter here and on Facebook here.

- JP

Tony Lee: Documentary seeks to reset conventional wisdom on Palin

"Palin’s retail skills are phenomenal, and the movie hammers this point home."
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The positive reviews keep coming in for "The Undefeated," director Stephen K. Bannon's full-length Sarah Palin documentary. Human Events columnist Tony Lee's impression of the film is that of "a conventionally unconventional stump speech, and an opening act of what may be a presidential campaign." Lee said he took away five distinct points from the movie:

First, this movie will reaffirm what Palin supporters like about her while presenting a solid case to those who may be on the fence about Palin that she cannot only be a strong executive but that she can and has had a history of winning over independents in the political and policy fronts.

Second, should Palin enter the presidential contest, her path to the nomination may eerily resemble her path to Alaska’s governorship. In Alaska, Palin resigned from the Oil and Gas commission, defeated an incumbent establishment governor of her party for the nomination, and then went on to win the general election. Should she enter the 2012 contest it would be after she resigned from Alaska’s governorship, and she would have to defeat the GOP establishment -- hellbent on throwing tacks and obstacles in her path at all costs -- to get the nomination.

Third, Palin’s anti-establishment nature resembles Reagan. Two of the most powerful moments of the film come when conservative Andrew Breitbart basically implies that the Washington GOP establishment machine is full of soulless cookie cutter types. Even more powerful is when influential conservative author and talk radio host Mark Levin compared Palin to Reagan, and how the same types of people who dismissed and hated Reagan are the ones that are cutting Palin down right now.

Fourth, should Palin run, the movie offers a blueprint of what her opening argument will most likely be to voters. She will highlight her biography.

[...]

Fifth, the movie is heavy on themes of American exceptionalism. The implication is that Palin and Obama see two different versions of America, and Palin’s view of America, culturally and policy-wise, is the one that is worth restoring, reviving, and renewing to get America back on sound economic footing while also not losing sight of the enduring and exceptional characteristics that have and will make America, as Lincoln said, man’s last, best hope.

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Follow "The Undefeated" on Twitter here and on Facebook here. A website will also be unveiled soon.

- JP

Jan Crawford: New Sarah Palin movie hints at presidential run

The movie argues that Gov. Palin is a seasoned executive more than qualified to be President
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CBS News' political correspondent Jan Crawford, after screening the soon to be released documentary "The Undefeated," says the take is that if Gov. Palin isn't running for president, "she should be":

By tracing her political rise in Alaska, her battles with Big Oil and the Republican establishment, and her accomplishments as governor, the movie argues one overriding point: Sarah Palin is a seasoned executive who is more than qualified to be President.

It also adds context to her bus tour of historic sites and patriotic events, which she says she undertook to remind people about the principles America was founded on and the importance of the Constitution. Critics have questioned whether the tour is, in fact, just a big publicity stunt, but "The Undefeated" shows video of a young Palin echoing some of those same themes 20 years ago, when she was a rookie on the stump campaigning for office.

That's one of the things I found most striking about the movie. Since Palin burst on the national scene in 2008, critics have portrayed her as an unformed and uninformed political thinker, suggesting someone just crammed her head with these ideas unleashed her on America.

But "The Undefeated" goes a long way towards debunking that tired narrative. It shows an unbroken line in her thinking over the past two decades. The things she's saying on her bus tour about freedom, free markets, fiscal responsibility and the proper role of government are the same things she's been saying ever since she entered into politics.

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Crawford concludes that whether one likes or dislikes Gov. Palin, there's one thing both camps should be able to agree on: "It certainly looks like Palin is running for President."

- JP

Jedediah Bila: Palin record takes center stage in ‘The Undefeated’

Setting the record straight
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Reviewing "The Undefeated" in her latest Daily Caller column, Jedediah Bila says Stephen Bannon’s documentary reveals Sarah Palin to be that rare public servant who practices what she preaches:

Via a montage of media criticism of Palin from the mouths of Matt Damon, Bill Maher, David Letterman, Howard Stern, Ed Koch, Sharon Osbourne, and others, Bannon quickly establishes a contrast between the fictional character of Palin that has been presented by the media and the real-life woman who shook up business as usual through policies grounded in free-market principles and putting government back on the side of the people.

A good portion of “The Undefeated” focuses on setting the record straight on Palin’s record, featuring commentary from key players in Alaska such as former Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, Palin attorney Tom Van Flein, former Wasilla Deputy Mayor Judy Patrick, former state Sen. Gene Therriault, former pipeline adviser Marty Rutherford, and others. Via a blend of their commentary and segments plucked from Sarah Palin’s audio book of Going Rogue, viewers experience an up-close look at Palin’s years of public service, beginning with her focus on fiscal responsibility, infrastructure development, and tax reductions as city council member and mayor.

Bannon illuminates some of Palin’s major policy achievements as governor, including the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share (ACES), a strong ethics reform bill, and seeing to it that drilling began at Pt. Thomson after over 25 years of ExxonMobil sitting on its contracts without action. Most importantly, Bannon links it all together through shared themes — a distaste for closed-door negotiations, a belief in the power of free-market competition to yield the best results, and a desire to uphold the Alaska Constitution and to protect the rights and interests of hard-working Alaskans.

“The Undefeated” also chronicles Palin’s entry onto the national stage via the Republican National Convention, the McCain/Palin campaign, and beyond. Bannon intersperses segments of Palin’s speeches with commentary from Mark R. Levin, Tammy Bruce, Kate Obenshain, Andrew Breitbart, and other charismatic contributors. Levin provides fantastic parallels between the TEA Party movement and the Reagan Revolution, as well as highlights the similar manner in which many in the GOP establishment have gone after both Reagan and Palin. Tammy Bruce pulls no punches in presenting Palin as a woman led by authenticity of purpose and commitment to principle right from the start.

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"The Undefeated," focused as it is on Sarah Palin's accomplishments, shows the former governor to be competent, ambitious, and principled. here is a woman who got into politics, Jedediah Bila says, "for the right reasons and has consistently cut through the nonsense to get things done." The review concludes that his film is a portrait of an everyday American who has never been afraid to shake up the establishment in order to do what she believes is right.

Follow "The Undefeated" on Twitter here and on Facebook here. A website is in the works and will be launched soon.

- JP

Product Review: The Definitive Sarah Palin 2011 Wall Calendar

Meet the new calendar, same as the old calendar
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A little over a year ago, we reviewed "The Definitive Sarah Palin 2010 Wall Calendar" from Cafe Press, and we were not impressed. Our main criticisms were:

None of the photos selected for the calendar are anything we haven't seen before, and -- the Vogue photo excepted -- they obviously were not selected to present the best Sarah Palin shots that were available, but apparently the easiest ones to obtain legally (i.e., least expensive to license).

Although Don Surber opines that it "looks authorized," at $19.95 retail, this calendar doesn't seem to us to be much of a bargain. But those who absolutely must have every bit of Sarah Palin memorabilia on the market will buy it without batting an eye.

Fast forward a year, and "The Definitive Sarah Palin 2011 Wall Calendar" is now being sold by Cafe Press. Most of what we said about last year's version can be applied to the 2011 edition. It even uses the same Vogue photo from the 2010 calendar again for the month of December. It's a great photo, but a new calendar should have newer photos.

Last year we opined that for Christmas gift shopping, Gov. Palin's first book could be bought for less money than the 2010 calendar. Like Going Rogue, her second book America by Heart has a "street" price lower than what Cafe Press is asking for the 2011 calendar, and the Sarah Palin follower who hasn't obtained a copy of the new book will appreciate it more as a Christmas gift, in our opinion. If the person you are shopping for already has Rogue and Heart, much better gifts than this calendar can be found at Cafe Press and elsewhere

- JP

Dianne Newcomer: Alaska is wild and wonderful

She loves that state. What's not to love?
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Here's a review of "Sarah Palin's Alaska by Dianne Newcomer, a travel agent in Northeast Louisiana:

So what if there is a hidden agenda? Who cares if she makes a million dollars an episode for eight shows? What's wrong with interjecting personal — and perhaps political — perspective into the script? Isn't that one of the privileges of being the editor and what makes her so likeable? After all, who really believes TLC's "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is "reality"?

Yet, the "reality" was I was really entertained as I watched the show last Sunday night. It was not the well manicured and manipulated family moments that captured my attention, but, rather, the awesome beauty of Alaska. Wasn't the Homer spit stunning? When Palin tells us her show is a "love letter to Alaska," she nailed it! There is absolutely no way the state's tourism is not going to benefit, because Alaska definitely steals the show.

Unlike the "Deadliest Catch" (a Discovery Channel show about fishing for Alaskan crab in the worst conditions possible) or "Ice Road Truckers," (a History Channel show where truck drivers make the treacherous ice route between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay), "Sarah Palin's Alaska" takes place in the summer, and no touch ups are needed! Alaska just sits there looking rugged, wild, majestic, and pristine — absolutely picture perfect. What you see is really what you get! Throw in a little family drama with Mrs. Palin, America's media sweetheart, who even looks cute "stunning" halibut, and you have a travelogue made for Hollywood!

[...]

I am not sure if "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is just another reality show or a campaign promo piece for 2012, but, when she says "we are somewhere you dream about," I believe she loves that state. Yet, let's be honest, what is there not to love about a place where moose, sunsets, snowflakes and wildflowers make the front page of the newspaper and where their colleges offer courses in fly fishing and log cabin construction?

What's not to love about a place governed by Mother Nature?

[...]

No matter how you cut it: Alaska is a strange and wonderful land. It has very few paved roads, no sales taxes, no snakes, cock roaches, skunks, tornadoes, hurricanes or skyscrapers. They adamantly believe they have no weeds — only wildflowers and interesting plants — but they do brag about their abundance of glaciers, mountains, volcanoes, oil fields, gold and timber.

With more lakes than Minnesota and more mosquitoes than Texas, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" is undeniably the Last Frontier. It deserves to be on every good traveler's "bucket list" and, thanks to Mrs. Palin, I am sure it is going to be a hot destination for 2011.

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- JP

Surprise! Anti-Palin AP gives 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' a positive review

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AP Television Writer Frazier Moore Has screened the first episode of "Sarah Palin's Alaska," and his review is all positive:

Whatever you may think of Sarah Palin, the fact remains Alaska is magnificent with her as its presenter.

"Sarah Palin's Alaska," premiering on TLC on Nov. 14, adds "TV host" to Palin's crowded resume, which already includes former governor, former GOP vice presidential candidate, best-selling author and conservative superstar.

Palin also is a wife, a mother of five and a grandmother, of course, and her new series integrates her home life with Alaska's great outdoors.

Judging from the first of eight episodes, "Sarah Palin's Alaska" keeps politics out of the picture. Sure, the show is effective in selling the Palin brand. But along the way, Palin throws herself into selling the grandeur of Alaska.

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Befitting the travelogue quality of the show, it boasts eye-popping scenes across the state's vastness (roughly twice the size of Texas).

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The reviewer's bottom line: "...overall the show leaves no doubt: Alaska is well worth a visit. Presenting it to viewers, Palin is literally at home." The rest of us will be able to see that first episode November 14 on TLC.

- JP

Gov. Palin looking for a new applicant for AG

In an e-mail to the Fairbanks News-Miner, a spokesperson for Sarah Palin says the governor is "in the review process" to designate a new nominee for the office of Alaska attorney general.

Sharon Leighow says Gov. Palin wants to appoint someone with integrity, vast legal knowledge and experience who must be a strong advocate for Alaska.

Alaska lawmakers last week voted down Wayne Anthony Ross, the governor's previous nominee for the office, after a smear campaign against him by Palin's political enemies swayed the legislator's opinions. Just last year, the Alaska House honored Ross with a unanimous citation which described the lawyer as "a distinguished Alaskan" and "a vocal proponent of free speech." The citation also characterized Ross' career as being "dedicated to defending individual rights."

Leighow says though there has been a considerable interest in the position by applicants, the governor is working under no deadline to fill the position now that the legislative session has adjourned.

In a related story, Gov. Palin's administration has released an opinion by the state's acting attorney general stating that the governor's original appointment of Tim Grussendorf to fill the state Senate seat vacated by Kim Elton of Juneau is still a valid one because the Senate Democrats never legally rejected it.

The decision comes after Gov. Palin and the Democrats agreed to a Sunday compromise which assigned the seat to former Juneau mayor Dennis Egan.

- JP