Palin-mania: Most recent booktour stops and...

Palin first to sell out chamber dinner 

A record 5,000 people have purchased tickets to attend the 2010 Salina Area Chamber of Commerce (Kansas) annual meeting featuring Sarah Palin, far surpassing the number who have attended past annual meetings, according to chamber officials.

The event was an official sellout as of Wednesday, according to Dennis Lauver, Chamber CEO and president.
“The last tickets were sold today,” Lauver said.
Don Weiser, chamber senior vice president, said this is the first time in his 34 years at the chamber that the event had sold out.
Lauver said 1,408 people will be seated on the floor of the Bicentennial Center for the Feb. 5 meeting and will be served dinner. Another 3,600 people will be seated in the gallery.
Lauver said most of the ticket holders are chamber members.
For more on Palin's visit to Salina, see Thursday's Salina Journal.
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Palin a Hit In Springfield

Sarah Palin was "going rogue" in Missouri Wednesday. She drew a rock star-like crowd in Springfield, her single stop in the Show Me State during her book tour. And a speaking engagement Wednesday night is a sellout, as well.
Outside the Border's Bookstore in Springfield, it felt as much like Sarah Palin was running for office as she was selling a book. People screamed and clapped and reached to shake her hand as she stepped off a bus with the book jacket emblazoned on the side of it. Then she worked the crowd, shaking hands along a rope line before hurrying inside.
Campers began showing up Tuesday afternoon just to get a chance to get Palin to sign their book. Bob Kurtz was first in line. "I got here at 2:00 yesterday afternoon," he said early Wednesday morning.
They camped out in the cold all night, and all night more and more people showed up. Borders gave out 500 wristbands, but another 200 or so people were left without. Many waited without one, just hoping to get in to see Palin somehow. (continues here)
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Palin, others awarded at College of the Ozarks

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said tonight she doesn’t need an official “title to affect positive change” in the country.
Palin told an estimated crowd of 5,000 packed in Keeter Gymnasium at College of the Ozarks that despite her resignation, she is moving on “in the battle with new strategy.”
Palin was the keynote speaker tonight during a convocation that honored World War II veterans and others connected to the private college with “Great American” awards. Palin was the inaugural recipient of the award for her contributions to promoting patriotism, said College of the Ozarks President Jerry Davis.
Palin’s speech came after spending three hours in Springfield autographing copies of her new book “Going Rogue” at Borders Bookstore on South Glenstone Avenue.
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Sarah Palin to Keynote Bowling Expo

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin may or may not be a viable 2012 presidential candidate, but the bowling industry is probably hoping she is at least a better bowler than President Obama.
Palin will be giving the keynote address at the International Bowl Expo 2010 in June of next year, the Bowling Proprietors' Association of America (BPAA) announced today.
Dubbed the bowling industry's "premier international convention," the expo will take place between June 27 and July 1 at the Las Vegas Hilton and Las Vegas Convention Center. Palin's keynote speech is slated for the morning of June 30.
The BPAA said in a press release the industry "rolled a strike" in securing Palin's presence at the event. (continues at CBS)

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Tales from the line during Palin-mania (New Mexico)

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin brought her book tour to Roswell Tuesday drawing more than 1,000 people who waited hours--and in one case days--to catch a glimpse or an autographed copy of "Going Rogue."
The line was long, but the wait at the front for some was even longer.
"I have been here since about five o'clock Sunday afternoon," Shelly Barreras said.
Barreras, who read “Going Rogue” in only eight hours, has been living out of her camper for two days just for the chance to be the first person to meet Palin at the Hastings book store in Roswell
To say she's a fan is an understatement. (continues here)
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Sarah Palin signing draws crowds at Tempe Costco (Arizona)

Hundreds of Sarah Palin supporters flocked to a Costco in Tempe, Ariz. on Tuesday to meet the former Alaska governor and get her to autograph their copies of "Going Rogue."
The first people in line began waiting at about 8 a.m. Monday, and slept outside the megastore covered in blankets and sitting in chairs.
Palin arrived away from the hordes but greeted a few supporters outside who yelled, "We love you, Sarah!"
She shook several of their hands as she held her youngest child, Trig, on her hip.
Once inside, Palin was met by a 23-year-old Palm Springs, Calif., man who had driven more than four hours and then waited for more than 24 hours to be the first to have his book signed.
Drew Sweatte says his brief exchange with Palin was everything he had hoped it would be and more.
Palin kicked off her book tour Nov. 19 in Michigan. Palin is scheduled for 15 more signings across the country in the next 10 days. (continues here)