Sarah Palin, Tea Party | featured news

It was a Sarah Palin crowd. At a conference of conservative activists last week, there were stacks of Sarah Palin books and Sarah Palin posters. A special screening of a film about Palin was planned. And after skipping the gathering for four years, Palin herself had agreed at last to give the keynote address.

Tea Party supporters walk past a sign of Sarah Palin during the Tea Party of America's "Restoring America" event at the Indianola Balloon Festival Grounds September 3, 2011 in Indianola, Iowa.

The first thing that's wrong with the new documentary glorifying former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is the title."The Undefeated" profiles Palin's rise as a national heroine to the tea party, but it fails to mention that she's actually been defeated. Setting aside the 2008 presidential race when her party's ticket did not claim the White House, Palin lost a 2002 GOP primary for lieutenant governor.

Sarah Palin may have a magic touch with candidates she endorses, but nearly half of American voters aren't impressed by the former Republican vice presidential candidate.

Senator Lisa Murkowski conceded in her Republican primary race to Joe Miller, a lawyer from Fairbanks backed by Tea Party activists and Sarah Palin.

Even the White House's top spokesman is getting in on the act of mocking former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin for looking to talking points written on her palm during a speech to "tea party" activists.

Republican observers say Palin's done more lately to establish herself as a political celebrity focused on publicity rather than a political candidate focused on policy.