Salon: Palin's new book name-checks Reagan 33 times, putting him second only to GOD (100 mentions)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Tuesday, Nov 23, 2010 14:36 ET
War Room
"America by Heart" by the numbers
By Justin Elliott

http://www.salon.com/news/politics/sarah_palin/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2010/11/23/palin_book_on_reagan



I've just finished Sarah Palin's new book, "America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag." It offers very, very little about her substantive views (with a few exceptions). The book mostly amounts to a collection of bumper sticker slogans ("freedom isn't free") and inspirational quotes from members of the conservative pantheon ("morning in America").

So perhaps as good a way as any to assess Palin's book is by the numbers. By my count, the only character (who is not a member of Palin's family) that is mentioned more times than Ronald Reagan is God.

Reagan gets 33 mentions, which Palin accomplishes by deploying his name at every possible opportunity (eg: "Ronald Reagan once quoted Abraham Lincoln as saying ... "). Here's a look at some of the other common terms in the book, and let me know if I'm missing any:

God -- 100 times

"freedom" -- 100 times

Ronald Reagan -- 33 times

Barack Obama -- 32 times

"abortion" -- 28 times

"slavery" -- 25 times

"feminism" -- 18 times

Iraq -- 11 times

"flag" -- 11 times

"mainstream media" -- 10 times

John McCain -- 9 times

Martin Luther King Jr. -- 9 times

George W. Bush -- 8 times

"Tea Party" -- 8 times

[Toucano]

1. That seems appropriate. He was a dumb ass, too.

Of course she'd invoke St. Ronnie...

[Jakes Progress]

2. That really makes it 133.

To the slow thinking audience she courts, reagan and God are the same thing.

[tanyev]

3. Dang. She should have named her kids Reagan 1, Reagan 2, Reagan 3....

[TheCowsCameHome]

4. Can you imagine reading her book closely enough to count that stuff?

One would have to rinse their eyes with bleach or Drano afterward.

[pgodbold]

5. Dammit! Homosectionals not even a mention!? nt