Charley James of the L.A. Progressive was able to do a little investigative journalism during the Republican National Convention and has begun to uncover a personality in Alaska's Governor Sarah Palin that indeed may be suitable for a Republican redux of it's infamous "Southern Strategy." 

In early August, sitting in a cafe among political associates, Palin was overheard making racist statements when discussing Obama's Democratic Primary victory over Hillary Clinton.  

Charley James reports:

According to Lucille, the waitress serving her table at the time and who asked that her last name not be used, Gov. Palin was eating lunch with five or six people when the subject of the Democrat’s primary battle came up. The governor, seemingly not caring that people at nearby tables would likely hear her, uttered the slur and then laughed loudly as her meal mates joined in appreciatively.

“It was kind of disgusting,” Lucille, who is part Aboriginal, said in a phone interview after admitting that she is frightened of being discovered telling folks in the “lower 48” about life near the North Pole.

Then, almost with a sigh, she added, “But that’s just Alaska.”

Racial and ethnic slurs may be “just Alaska” and, clearly, they are common, everyday chatter for Palin.

Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, “darkie musical” swipe, people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful “mukluks” along with the totally unimaginative “f**king Eskimo’s,” according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.

But being openly racist is only the tip of the Palin iceberg. According to Alaskans interviewed for this article, she is also vindictive and mean. We’re talking Rove mean and Nixon vindictive.

No wonder the vast sea of white, cheering faces at the Republican Convention went wild for Sarah: They adore the type, it’s in their genetic code. So much for McCain’s pledge of a “high road” campaign; Palin is incapable of being part of one.

click here for complete article

Well now, this goes a long way in corroborating what our own Gleen Greenwald currently is reporting about the McCain Campaign's packaging of their vice presidential candidate along with the label, "Do not open until Christmas."

So many have asked for sources at the original site, where the article I cite above appeared, that Charley James, the author, posted a follow-up wherein he explained his investigative process, sources and method of documentation.

Most of his sources are from interviews with folks in Alaska who shared their personal experience of Sarah Palin; however, he provided a 63-page PDF "Vetting" file compiled by the Democratic Party in Alaska as a documentary source on the issues, the positions she has taken, and her political alliances -- something you may find quite interesting if you are trying to nail down her stances, non-stances, contrivances and/or politically driven flip-flops.   This document should prove to be a standard resources for journalists, one that can be easily referenced.

Both articles appeared originally in his own blog, The Progressive Curmudgeon.