Los Angeles, Nov 19 (DPA) Thousands of Sarah Palin fans thronged to the opening of her book tour as the former Republican vice presidential candidate embarked on a campaign that appeared to be as much about relaunching her political career as selling copies of her memoir.
MSNBC reported that over 1,500 people had lined up Wednesday outside the Grand Rapids, Michigan bookstore where Palin was due to sign copies of her book, “Going Rogue”. Many had endured near-freezing overnight conditions to get to meet the controversial former governor of Alaska.

Fuelled by a massive media blitz, the intense public reaction to the release of the book has stoked speculation that the folksy conservative politician could be planning a presidential election bid in 2012.

In interviews timed to coincide with the release of the book, Palin has done little to quash that speculation.

“My ambition is to help our county in whatever role that will be,” she said in an interview with US news doyen Barbara Walters. “I cannot predict what doors will be open in 2012.”

Asked if she would play a major role in that campaign, she replied: “If people will have me, I will.”

The Wall Street Journal has reported that demand for the 413-page book is so strong that HarperCollins Publishers is going back to press for an additional 100,000 run, bringing the total number of hard-covers in print to 1.6 million copies.

The former Alaska governor, who was a surprise pick of John McCain for his running mate, has been widely derided as being uninformed on major issues and unqualified for the presidency.

The launch of the book, which is already a bestseller based on advanced orders alone, had reignited many of the old debates about the Palin phenomenon, as well as the obsessive media interest in the former governor of Alaska.

But not all those buying the memoir count themselves as political fans.

“I would never vote for her, but I find her strangely fascinating,” said one buyer at a book store in liberal San Francisco. “I want to understand what makes her tick, and why so many people would vote for her despite her obvious flaws.”

A woman at the Grand Rapids book signing told MSNBC that she was a Sarah Palin fan. “But I prefer her to have a talk show or something, rather than be a politician.”