Sarah Palin PR stunt backfires
Sarah Palin, figurehead of the US Republican party, has never been one to shy away from a publicity stunt but her latest wheeze may have done more harm than good after irking ex-servicemen.
The mishap occurred when Palin descended upon the Rolling Thunder veteran’s event, an occasion which sees hundreds of Harley Davidson riders wind their way around Washington DC along a route lined by thousands of ex-servicemen.
Accompanied by her extended family, Palin hitched a lift on one bike dressed in dark glasses and a black leather jacket as part of a “One Nation” bus tour in which the ex-Alaskan governor is using to promote her image outwith her traditional heartlands.
Organisers were irked by Palin’s unilateral decision to attend however and blocked any addresses to the crowd. One veteran said: “She’s shrewd, I’ll give her that, but it infringes on the veterans.”
The White House is said to favour a Palin challenge which many believe will play into the hands of Obama. A senior aide told The Times: “Let’s see if they can organise a decent bus tour; then we’ll have a better idea of whether she can mount a serious campaign.”