Sarah Palin has entered the building

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin entered the Barnes & Noble book store here in Sioux City at about 1:30 p.m this Sunday afternoon, an hour and a half after her scheduled arrival. 

A small group of adults and children stood huddling across the street from the door, hoping to get a glimpse, maybe even a handshake.  The S.U.V. in which Palin was riding pulled up to the door, Palin got out, waved to the crowd and the cameras, and said (according to people in the crowd, as my recording from 30 feet away does not offer conclusive proof of this quote): “Hi.  See you inside.”  It took about seven seconds from the time the vehicle pulled up to the time she entered the bookstore. 

The crowd of onlookers — once they got their brief look at Palin — rushed into the warmth of the mall, many stopping just inside the mall’s doors to see if they were able to snap a frame with Palin in it.  

A woman who works in the mall was briefing her friends and family about Palin’s attire:  “She was wearing really nice, pretty purple boots and black tights,” she said.  “She was very fashionable.”

Another woman was describing Palin to a man:  “She was very vibrant, very beautiful.”

Todd Sargeant, the Ohio man who arrived here in Sioux City 24 hours ago so he could be at the front of the line to get his two books signed, walked out of the Barnes & Noble smiling.  “She said, ‘I hope you didn’t have to wait long,'” Sargeant recounted, with a laugh.  The crowd cheered when Palin entered the store.  “There was excitement,” Sargeant said. “Everybody was ready after a long time.”

Palin is scheduled to autograph copies of her book ’til 3 p.m. here in Sioux City, with another event scheduled to start in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at 5 p.m.  Barnes & Noble officials say 500 people showed they had copies of Palin’s book and received a wrist band, which entitled them to wait in the line and get Palin’s autograph here in Sioux City.

Michael Thompson of Council Bluffs, Iowa — a member of the 9/12 group who attended the State Tea Party Convention in Des Moines last month, stood in line today to get an autograph — and to hand Palin a couple of letters.  “With suggestions, that we hopefully can get in her hands…It would be nice to have, say, a small arena or stadium where she could answer questions and people could spend a little bit more time (with Palin) than 30 seconds getting a book signed,” Thompson said.

As I sit in the middle of the mall typing on my laptop, a man dressed in white jeans and a long-sleeved white t-shirt stands, hovering around people waiting in line.  He has “Palin 2012” stamped in red on his t-shirt.  The “racing stripe” area on his white jeans says, “RUN BABY RUN” in red ink.