by Chris Bodenner

Alaska native Marty Beckerman is bitter about Sarah Palin stealing his thunder:

[A]t college in D.C. I'd get asked every day, as if I were from some exotic fantasy land: "Did you mush dogs instead of driving a car?" "Did your family live in an igloo?" "Did you have a pet polar bear?"

… Did you water ski behind a team of huskies?

No, no, and no, but I loved these asinine, naive, wonderful questions. Saying "I'm from Alaska" was the best conversation starter imaginable, and on countless occasions instantly made me the most interesting person in the room unless there was someone around from, like, Tanzania. (Fun factoid: Jewel used to yodel in the hallways of my high school.)

But it was never the same after August 29, 2008. As soon as John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his VP candidate, suddenly no one asked about months of darkness or snowboarding to school—only about her. Whenever I boasted of my birthplace to new acquaintances, expecting to become the glorious center of attention yet again, I instead became some random guy indistinguishably whining about politics. Nobody cared anymore. And to this day, nobody cares—it's been two years since anyone asked about gearshifts on dogsleds. Like it or not, America's most hideous politician has ruined America's most beautiful state.

Even Republicans in Alaska agree, picking Romney over Palin in a new poll.  And of course Jewel isn't a fan.