Palin-Mania Sweeping Nation

(CBS)  There's a new economic boom in Alaska -- and it has nothing to do with oil.

Call it "Palin-mania."

Companies are cashing in on a new craze sweeping the country sparked by the sudden fame of John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

The new cottage industry involves anything carrying her name.

Palin is, of course, no longer "Sarah Who?" and, a week after her stunning naming to the Republican ticket, Palin items have become hot properties.

From t-shirts to thong underwear, from the flattering to the not-so-flattering, sales of just about everything related to the McCain-Palin ticket have been flying off shelves, at the just-concluded GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., on the Internet, and other settings, Blackstone says.

In Anchorage, silk screeners are working overtime to meet nationwide demand for Palin t-shirts.

"We're trying to strike while the iron is hot -- be quick," explains John Williams, production manager for Alaska Serigraphics.

It began a week ago, when McCain named her to the ticket. The iron got even hotter when Palin spoke Wednesday night at the convention.

For t-shirt makers, one of her lines was particularly inspiring: "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom? Lipstick."

"Immediately," says Williams, "I'm just like, 'God, I could reach in and kiss her! This is perfect! Everybody's gonna love it.' "

By Thursday morning, an artist was hard at work on the pitbull/lipstick design. The shirts haven't even been printed yet but, says Williams, buyers are already lining up: "They're ordering it sight unseen. They don't care. They just want it."

In one Anchorage shop, Ann Bickford was scooping up Palin t-shirts. How many? "I'm buying so many, I lost count," she laughed.

The shirts Jim Dooley is selling at his Anchorage athletic supply store keep the message simple, saying "McCain/Palin," but that hasn't hurt sales.

"We've had more people in here this last three days than we probably have in three or four months," Dooley told Blackstone.

At the Republican convention, Paul collectibles celebrated more than just her politics. One said, "A hero and a hottie."

If the souvenir sellers there had had their way, Palin might be at the top of the ticket: One item said, "Strong girls vote for Palin/McCain."

One woman says she sold all 10,000 Palin buttons she had.

Pain's leap to fame is also benefiting such Web sites as CafePress.com, which now has an inventory of 137,000 Palin-related items.

And for those who just can't get enough of Alaska's governor's celebrity, the Web is now overflowing with impersonators on video.

One, from Lisanova, has racked up a half-million hits on YouTube since its debut three days ago.

It has a McCain impersonator saying, "Susan?"

"Sarah," a Palin impersonator corrects him.

"Pawlin?" the McCain actor says.

"Palin!" replies the frustrated Palin actor.

"Do you want to be my vee-pee?" asks "McCain."

"Yes. I'll be your vee pee," is the response. "Now let's talk policy."

The t-shirts, says Blackstone, printed with pride in Anchorage, are about more than a governor, it seems.

"Alaska's waited a long time to kind of be on the map, so to speak; we're kind of overlooked up here," Williams says.

But now, Blackstone points out, the cold state has the hottest name in politics.

Some of the more popular catchphrases on Palin-related products: "Sarah-Cuda," "Palin Power," and a t-shirt saying, "I'm voting for Sarah Palin -- Oh, yeah -- and that old guy, too!" Another one: "Global warming doesn't kill polar bears. Sarah Palin does. With her bare hands."

Less flattering ones, which the other side could snap up, include these phrases: "Caribou Barbie," "McBush/Quaylen," and "McCain and the Naughty Librarian."

[scott222333]

Ha ha ha ha ha ... I am absolutely loving every second of this. All you Dems coming unglued as Sarah takes the spotlight, and the fascination of the country, from your "messiah", "the chosen one." She kicks *** and I love it ... Go McCain/Palin !!!

[hbevis]

a word on socialism. This week the Bush government announced the intention to bail out two companies, using tax payers money, up to a possible $800 BILLION. A couple of months ago, the Bush government arranged a $100 BILLION low interest loan of tax payer funds to investment banks. But just try to arrange for all citizens to be covered by health insurance and you have 54 posters saying Obama and Clinton are socialists. The corporate world has these right wingers brain washed to vote against their interests.

Posted by obbcbs at 07:37 PM : Sep 06, 2008

This bail out that people are talking about is the
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In case no one knows they both were started by Roosevelt 60 or 70 years ago. When the government let them run by private Cooperations they have been getting into more and more trouble.

[beowulf39565]

cfin5, Good name, computicator, My Pewter sounds like computer but also makes a comparison to a very cheap metal of poor quality.

This just in from About.com

According to about.com The question, it appears, shouldn''t be, "Did Palin try to have him fired?" but, "Why has this guy not been fired?"
CNN is suppose to air an interview with Wooten tonight that may cast considerable doubt on Palin''s alleged wrong-doing.

Wooten is reported to have a history of reprimands while a trooper, and a number of personal indiscretions as well. The worst of these Wooten admitted to, He electrocuted his 11-year-old step son with a taser. He is alleged to have been teaching the boy a lesson.
I read on some Alaskan blog today people reporting the same and accusing him of much worse. The Tazing of an 11 year old is a hanging offense as far as I am concerned.

[obbcbs]

you right wingers seem to get off on pretending your guy is ahead.
Take a look at the state by state polls. If the election were held today, after your convention, OBAMA wins.

[obbcbs]

a word on socialism. This week the Bush government announced the intention to bail out two companies, using tax payers money, up to a possible $800 BILLION. A couple of months ago, the Bush government arranged a $100 BILLION low interest loan of tax payer funds to investment banks. But just try to arrange for all citizens to be covered by health insurance and you have 54 posters saying Obama and Clinton are socialists. The corporate world has these right wingers brain washed to vote against their interests.

[obbcbs]

While the press is silenced, and no one is allowed to interview Palin who might make her think,
McCain is pushing HARD to end the investigation
into Palin''s firing of the person who would not fire her brother in law,
on the premise that the Dem has made public statements
indicating he has a point of view on the topic.
Being neutral about an obvious crime is not a requirement of investigators. Stink stinks.

[cfin5]

Posted by beowulf39565 at 03:32 PM : Sep 06, 2008---- I prefer Samuel Clemens. Pewter?.....I call it my computicator,...if its being good.

[beowulf39565]

To cfin5:
keep in mind that the real
Voltaire distrusted democracy, which he saw as propagating the idiocy of the masses. To Voltaire, only an enlightened monarch or an enlightened absolutist, advised by philosophers like himself, could bring about change as it was in the king''s rational interest to improve the power and wealth of his subjects and kingdom.

Thomas Carlyle argued that, while Voltaire was unsurpassed in literary form, not even the most elaborate of his works were of much value for matter and that he never uttered an original idea of his own.

According to poet Richard Armour, Voltaire''s friendship with Frederick William existed because "Frederick considered Voltaire to be immensely clever and so did Voltaire."

*** I''ve got to get a life and get off this pewter!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltaire

[cfin5]

Posted by Voltaire777 at 12:44 PM : Sep 06, 2008--- Your post is the biggest whopper of a fib I''ve seen for awhile here Voltron. You got your mental polarity cables reversed? Where do you think BO started his campaign? "Bombing Bill Ayers" living room genius! You sound like that Goth dude that was here back some time ago.

[backfromiraq]

Now, abby0802,
Lunatic?? %u2026Really?? That''s what insiders like to call mavericks and reformers.

==McCAIN * PALIN 08==