His organizational techniques have both enthralled and frustrated established Republican groups.

His politics shared through letters to the editor have built an admiring following as well as a pack of detractors.

In a way, Frank Aquila has been received by Republicans, Tea Party compatriots, and rock solid Democrats the same way they view Sarah Palin. You either love his political views or you despise them to the point that a few try to write him off as a nut case.

That is why Aquila expects the reception to his latest endeavor - a 367-page book he penned dubbed “Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere” - will receive sizzling hot and stone cold responses.

The book is built around the 42-year-old Contra Costa County peace officer’s experiences as chairman of John McCain’s San Joaquin County campaign and a flurry of e-mails he sent urging the Republican standard bearer to select Palin as his running mate long before her name was vetted publically.

Aquila’s first awakening about the importance of politics came at the same time a counselor at his high school - Miss Arce - encouraged him to open the door to further his education after graduation.

Aquila described himself as a “special education” student who struggled with writing and reading.

“I was convinced I wasn’t smart enough to go to college,” Aquila recalled.

That was before Arce told Aquila of a bus that was leaving the next day to take high school students to nearby Los Medonas Community College to explore the potential of secondary education opportunities.

He followed through on her advice, and got on the bus the next day.

“They asked what I was doing on the bus, that it was meant only for Hispanic students,” Aquila said. “They told me I had to get off, which I did. I thought that was wrong. Everyone regardless of color or sex should have the same opportunities to succeed.”

Aquila graduated from Los Medanos and went on to earn a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from California State University, East Bay. He has over 20 years of involvement with the Central Coach Ranch Athletic League, including 10 years as an officer and president. It is an organization designed to allow incarnated youth to be involved in organized sports.

Created non-traditional approach to grass-roots political organizing

A few years back, Aquila launched the South San Joaquin Republicans.

He believed that existing Republican organizations - whether it was through the county committee or associated GOP groups - were too structured and time consuming to involve large numbers of conservatives who wanted to work for change. The reason was simple. They were like him: Commuters with families that left them precious little time - or energy - for grassroots political involvement,

So Aquila founded the group outside of the party apparatus. He organizes two to three meetings a year at Chez Shari at the Manteca golf course. He relies heavily on e-mail to engage interested parties in political discussions.

Members simply can be members. They don’t have to volunteer to work campaigns nor are they pressured to do so. Aquila has noted what happens instead is that through the causal format that the members are inspired to find the time to try and persuade friends and neighbors to support specific candidates.

Initially, established Republican groups wanted him to work with them. But then when he started getting hundreds of people participating in Tracy, Ripon, Manteca, Lathrop, and Escalon he got the attention of elected Republican officials and those running for office.

The South San Joaquin Republican forums are now a must stop for anyone running for office who is Republican.

The group has also manned booths at local street fairs working with the central committee but not as part of the structure.

He was prompted to write a book that underwent legal scrutiny by the publishing house’s lawyers instead of just writing for blogs after Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords was shot.

“The first reports speculated the shooter was a right wing extremist,” Aquila recalled.

When it soon became apparent the alleged gunman wasn’t, what he calls the “lame stream media” didn’t even concede they were way off base.

Aquila said he felt the need to stand up for people he feels are being mischaracterized and their views distorted much in the same manner he said Palin’s has been by the media.

Aquila said he shaped his political views in a household where his father was a die-hard Democrat and union man and his mother was a Republican in Berkeley.

He gives Palin high points for her down-to-earth approach to government that he noted is solidly set in her experience as a PTA mother and an outsider who ran for office in Alaska from city council to governor.

Aquila describes Palin by the three “E”s - energy, ethics, and excellence.

He is also convinced that she should run for the Republican nomination for president in 2012 and that she can win the White House.

The book “Sarah Palin Out of Nowhere” goes on sale this week on Amazon.com. More information is also available at www.sarahpalinoutofnowhere.com.