Film shows Palin’s someone to admire

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Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin attends a house party Thursday, June 2, 2011, in Seabrook, N.H. A new movie, "The Undefeated," examines Palin's career. | AP photo

Updated: October 26, 2011 1:50AM

A governor who’s self-centered, self-consumed, ill-informed about and disengaged in the state’s affairs. An elected head of state who would avoid important meetings with the budget director by hiding in the bathroom. A governor who would spend eight hours or less in the office, staying home or attending events rather than focusing on the state’s business.

That’s exactly how Robert Greenlee, Rod Blagojevich’s deputy governor, described his former boss.

And it’s exactly what most Americans expected 24,000 pages of personal and business emails to reveal about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Obsessive news hounds scrounged through pages and pages, looking for damning information that could wipe the outspoken conservative from America’s political scene.

What they found, though not so widely publicized, was the inner workings of an efficient, informed and very involved governor that mounted an unprecedented 80 plus approval rating while in office. The people of Alaska loved her and appreciated her backbone and focus on making their state a better place.

Such a contrast to Blago.

Soon after Palin entered the national political scene as Arizona Sen. John McCain’s GOP running mate, she was attacked as a diva, a clothes hog, an irresponsible mother and a political mercenary. National broadcasts showed her as being inept and ignorant. At the same time, they dismissed what she achieved as mayor of her hometown, commissioner of the state’s oil and pipeline board and governor of America’s largest state.

Palin was called vile names. She was accused of not being the mother of her youngest son, Trig. She was blamed for her children’s misbehavior.

Indeed, few, if any, political women in our day have been slandered, ridiculed and lied about more than Sarah Palin. And that’s why director Stephen K. Bannon teamed up with producer Dan Fleuette to make “The Undefeated,” a documentary about Palin’s accomplishments in Alaska.

Last weekend in Minneapolis, Bannon was on hand to introduce his latest project to conservative writers from throughout the nation.

“We wanted to hit the reset button on Governor Palin’s perception,” Bannon said at the screening, which I was fortunate enough to attend. “We thought the story had enough substance that if we could present in a dramatic fashion what she’d accomplished, people would understand her better.”

Even though the version shown Friday night was “raw,” Bannon said he was pleased his project was having the effect his team had hoped for.

“Some writers confessed they had started to buy some of the mainstream media’s perception,” he said. “I come from a Reagan Democrat family, but I believe in the basic fairness of the American public. After seeing the film, even people that don’t like Governor Palin’s politics can understand she’s a woman of substance. More appreciate how she’s accomplished what she has, coming from a family of blue-collar workers and teachers.”

Bannon said the Palins had nothing to do with the film’s production and had no say in editing.

“The Undefeated” is rolling out over the next few weeks in early presidential primary states like Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. On July 15, AMC theatres will be showing the film in limited areas. So far, the film’s not scheduled to be shown in Illinois.

The first several minutes of the film quickly review talk show hosts and news commentators referring to Palin in crass and vulgar terms never used by opponents of Hillary Clinton or Geraldine Ferraro. Then the film moves towards an in-depth review of Palin’s battles against party insiders, oil company executives and Democratic foes.

Controversial media activist Andrew Breitbart, who also attended the screening in Minneapolis, criticized the length of the segment about Palin’s accomplishments.

“I told Stephen his act two was too long, that it needed to be shortened, but he told me the truth had to be told and it was impossible to cut,” Breitbart said.

Bannon must have been conflicted in editing, but for those of us watching Friday night, “The Undefeated’s” lesson was clear as it was drilled into our heads: Sarah Palin is not the airheaded nincompoop you’ve been led to believe she is.

I greatly admired Palin when she was first introduced to America in 2008, but I hesitated to rave too much about her. Frankly, from my perspective, she was just too good to be true. Few women see the world similarly to me more than Palin does. Like many others, I watched from afar and hoped above hopes that what we thought we were seeing was what we would get.

But it wasn’t until last summer when I read Palin’s book “Going Rogue” that I was really was won over.

So when the news hounds began digging through the emails last weekend, I held my breath waiting for bad news. Having lived the cruelest, most-heartbreaking political state in the Midwest for conservatives, I’m fairly used to being disappointed by politicians.

Would Sarah Palin be just another?

No one is more happy than I that those emails revealed a hard-working, committed public servant. No one is more delighted that through her book “Going Rogue” and Bannon’s film “The Undefeated,” the truth will finally be accessible to the American public.

And while Palin’s story is likely not to be wildly embraced in Barack Obama’s hometown, open-minded people should be brave enough to at least investigate her. While you may not like Palin’s politics, you will find yourself admiring her stamina, courage and forthrightness.

And being from Illinois, where such bold examples of positive leadership are few and far between, learning the truth will be refreshing and invigorating to the soul.

It was to mine.