TEMPE, AZ – Hundreds of Sarah Palin fans flocked to a Costco store in Tempe on Tuesday to meet the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate and get her to autograph their copies of "Going Rogue."
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.
Supporters told her, "God bless you," "You're even lovier in person," and that she should run for president. She thanked them for coming and told them to "keep up the good fight."
"Wow. That pretty much made my week," said Mark Smith, 46, of the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, one of those who shook Palin's hand. "My knees are shaking. It was an adrenaline rush."
Once inside, she was met by Drew Sweatte, 23, of Palm Springs, Calif., who drove more than four hours and then waited for more than 24 hours to be the first to have his book signed.
"It was everything I hoped it would be and more," Sweatte said afterward. "You can just feel the sincerity and warmth and love from her. This is what I looked forward to more than anything else in life."
Sweatte said he thanked Palin for being consistent and told her he was praying for her and her family.
The first people in line to see the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate began waiting at about 8 a.m. Monday. They slept outside the megastore in 45-degree weather covered in blankets and sitting in chairs.
Maurice and Judy Mallette of Scottsdale, who wore sweat suits and lounged in camping chairs, said they started waiting in line around 11:30 a.m. Monday.
"She's our future, our savior," Judy Mallette said. "We're here to encourage her to run for president."
Palin has said the 2012 presidential election isn't on her radar.
Maurice Mallette said Palin "is one of us."
"She has a good common sense," he said. "The difference with her and the others is she works with us while the others feel that we work for them."
Palin began her book tour Nov. 19 in Michigan and is scheduled for 15 more signings across the country in the next 10 days.
The rules for the crowd were laid out by a spokesman for Palin's book tour, who said no personal photos of the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate were allowed, but attendees could pose with her and buy photos later from a Web site.
People in line also were required to be Costco members and show receipts that they bought "Going Rogue" at the discount retailer.
Fred Solop, a political science professor at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, said Palin events are attracting similar attention across the country.
"It's not typical that appearances like this are sold out, that politicians have such acclaim, but she's clearly a superstar in some circles," he said. "She's someone who is clearly making a splash nationally and we should all be watching to see what's next."
A spokesman for Palin's book tour said the crowd wouldn't be allowed to take photos of Palin, but would be able to pose with her and buy copies later from a Web site.
