Hundreds Attend Sarah Palin’s Des Moines Book Signing Amidst Political Speculations

Hundreds attended Governor Palin’s book signing in Des Moines, Iowa today.   There has been a lot of speculation about whether her two book tour stops in Iowa have political implications.  Both the Washington Post and the New York Times reported on the event.

The Washington Post posted this report by the Associated Press:

Hundreds turned out for a Sarah Palin book signing in Iowa, an event the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate insisted was not for political purposes.

Palin’s stop Saturday at the Borders in West Des Moines brought her back to Iowa, which hosts the caucuses that kick off the presidential nominating season.

The “American by Heart” author has hinted that she’s considering a 2012 presidential run, but says the visit was to promote her new book and that’s all.

Security was tight, and Palin did no media interviews.

People who bought her book were shuffled to the signing table in small groups. But few complained, and most couldn’t contain their excitement.

A. G. Sulzberger at the New York Times wrote:

The visit was, according to the official line, just a book signing — a chance for Sarah Palin to scrawl her prized signature for a few hundred fans on copies of her latest work.

But against a backdrop of unceasing speculation about her future and coming after several recent interviews in which Ms. Palin acknowledged that, yes, she was thinking about running and, yes, she thought she could win, her return to a state that is expected to play a central role in determining the next Republican nominee for president took on — intentionally or not — a distinctly political flavor.

The line of autograph seekers that snaked around the bookstore buzzed with the same two questions that trail Ms. Palin to all public appearances these days: would she and should she? Those expecting some additional clarity regarding her intentions, however, would leave disappointed. “Thank you for your encouragement,” she told her more enthusiastic supporters.

[...]

If anything, the visit mostly offered a reminder that Ms. Palin sure knows how to draw a crowd, pulling in at least five times the number of people who turned out to the same Borders for an event last week for former House speaker Newt Gingrich. Those waiting in line ranged from curious fans (in addition to her two books, she is now a paid Fox News commentator, the star of a reality television program and the mother of a dancing star) to devoted political supporters (she was also governor of Alaska and the 2008 Republican nominee for vice president).

“I wouldn’t have gone to see any of the other proposed people,” said Donna Otis, 66, a small business owner from Des Moines. “There’s a draw for her I can’t explain. You want to see Sarah.”

[...]

This is her third visit to the state since the presidential campaign. The previous visits were last December for an earlier book tour and last September for a fund-raiser for the state Republican party. Ms. Palin will return to the state on Thursday at the end of her nine-day, 13-state book tour for an appearance in Spirit Lake.

[...]

But after nearly three hours of signing more than 500 books Ms. Palin approached the stragglers in the store who had been told they had arrived too late. With a beaming smile she signed more books, posed for photos and urged the crowd to watch her show the next night. And she sidestepped a question from a reporter about when she would decide to run.

“Oh my goodness!” she said.

Then another person asked for her autograph. “Thanks for changing the subject for me.”