Sarah Palin's Small-Town Downfall Has Begun

Adrian Chen

May 27, 2010 09:01 PM

Sarah Palin has traded heavily on her Real America, small-town roots throughout her career. But this is also a great liability. The case of Sarah Palin's nosy next-door neighbor shows Palin's downfall at the hands of pissed-off provincials has begun.

Earlier this year, Palin used her clout with Alaska State Police to get 16 year-old Willow Palin off the hook after she and some high school buddies trashed a vacant home during a bender. The other kids were hung out to dry, and Alaska's Mat-Su Valley boiled at the injustice of Willow's preferential treatment. We warned that Palin should watch her back lest small-town high school drama explode in national scandal.

There's no scandal yet. But small-town drama has indeed bled into Palin's national profile. Crack Palin-debunking journalist Joe McGinniss moved right next door to Palin on Sarah Palin Lane in Wasilla, where he's planning to write his next book—on Sarah Palin. Now Glenn Beck is threatening to boycott McGinniss' publisher and Palin is putting up a huge fence and making fun of the guy on Facebook and everything.

So, another instance of the Lamestream Media trying to ruin Sarah Palin's life, right? Actually, it appears this whole situation was orchestrated by a vengeful neighbor. McGinniss' son said in an email reprinted by Politico that his dad was offered the spot by Palin's neighbor because the Palins owed her money:

"A woman was renting her house and sought out the author because the Palins had crossed her (owed her money for renovations she had done at their request and never paid her for). So she knew McGinniss was writing the book and found him and offered him the house."

The Palins apparently tried renting the place all winter to head off any Liberals. Not only did her neighbor refuse, she called up McGinniss and was like, "Hey, got this awesome house right across from Sarah Palin. Want?" There's no purer form of small-town drama than the stiffed contractor out for non-monetary revenge. Unlike those in New York or LA, where the elitists settle their labor disputes with fancy lawyers, small town builders have the means to hit back in way more satisfying ways. (Momof3wildkids points out that the email may actually be saying that Palin asked her neighbor to fix up her own house, promised to pay for it, then stiffed her in the end. Nervy!)

Palin's rise was based on a creation myth that had her springing from a fantasy Real America that loves guns and embryos and hates immigrants and socialists. But the Real America Palin really inhabits just wants her to stop acting like a diva and to cough up the 1500 bucks or whatever she owes them for building her deck. Do not cross your people Sarah Palin! Your speaking career and presidential prospects don't stand a chance against their hard-won sense of frontier justice. Installing a sworn enemy in your own backyard is just the beginning. They will destroy you.

Sarah Palin's brand new fence