So Much For Stopping Sarah
She's become a celebrity in the last year and a half. She has been interviewed on countless news programs, written a book and gone on a book tour. She tried to get one job, failed, and quit the job she already had. She sparks debate amongst Americans, draws criticism and sharps lines of division, but paints herself as a hockey mom that drives herself to work. Our differing views on whether or not Sarah Palin is the anti-Christ or the only one that can save our country, is beside the point. The point being that this someone from the middle of nowhere has become a phenomenon not only in the political world, but also in pop culture- a notion that many would be hard pressed to challenge.
After losing the 2008 Presidential election with John McCain, many Americans hoped that they had seen the last of Sarah Palin, and that she would go back to Alaska and stay there. But if those people knew anything, they knew better than to really think that someone so personable and so carefully marketed would simply disappear into oblivion. If you're not a fan of Sarah Palin, you should probably at least get used to tolerating her, because although she has ‘gone rogue,' if she doesn't go to Washington, she will most certainly go to Hollywood.
Immediately after the July 3, 2009 announcement that she would step down as Alaska's governor on July 26th, much of America wondered where she would go next. While 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is at least 3 years away, if ever, her destination seems to be in the mainstream media, if not the general conscious of the American people. The "liberal media" that Palin so outright opposes, is now the least of her worries when it comes to scrutinizing her. When the father of your granddaughter is telling everyone from Tyra Banks to Larry King about your family life, as well as blabbing to Vanity Fair and baring it almost-all to Playgirl, you know that your significance has gone beyond politics.
While a new CNN opinion poll shows that 7 in 10 people don't think that Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President, that doesn't mean that she isn't qualified to be on television. She could make more money than she could by holding a political office, and instead of a 2 year or 4 year "term," Sarah Palin could be dealing with seasons and episodes, with options to extend. There have been rumors of her own show on Fox News Channel, where she could be the conservative pretty face of the channel, because let's face it: no matter your political stance, most people would rather look at Sarah than Greta Van Susteren. Besides, every channel needs their poster child, their ambassador to the entertainment world. For Disney Channel, it's Miley Cyrus, for E! it's Ryan Seacrest or the Kardashians, and finally Fox News could have a pretty face to maybe get people to think about watching their channel.
Sarah Palin probably won't be the next Oprah, because, while charming and endearing, a wink, a smile and a folksy accent can't sugar coat her far-right views, and the typically liberal Hollywood crowd probably wouldn't be in any hurry to sit on Sarah's couch. But the celebrities aren't the people that Palin appeals to. Her book tour, for her book titled Going Rogue which was her first big venture under her own banner, was carefully planned to hit primarily white, middle class towns in America- steering clear of big cities (not to mention the entire Western part of the United States) where things like racial diversity, the Mexican border and less favorable opinions of her might rain on her parade. While she avoided major cities and major opposition, one thing she couldn't avoid was being the target of tomatoes, thrown by a man at The Mall of America in Minnesota. Even though the man missed Palin, and hit a police officer and was subsequently arrested, one must wonder that if she gets tomato'd at a book signing, what kind ammunition would someone in opposition be crazy enough to bring to a rally in a town hall, the Republican Convention, or even her Presidential inauguration?
No matter your opinion on Sarah Palin, it is clear that she will be around for a while. She is young in comparison to other politicians, elicits varying opinions and controversy (ie. makes great television), and has five children and a grandchild to support (you know she will be after those pay checks), so all signs point to Sarah Palin seeking some sort of public role, whether it be behind a desk in Washington D.C., or in front of a camera somewhere in a television studio right here in Los Angeles.
So while a lot of people are wondering whether or not she will run for President, I think that there are better questions that we should be seeking answers to. Will she opt to live in Beverly Hills, Malibu, or the Valley? Will her show be during the day where stay-at-home moms can soak up her opinions in agreement or throw their cell phones at the t.v. in disgust before picking up the kids from school? Or will Palin prefer an evening time slot, so she can give Katie Couric a run for her ratings money? But if Sarah Palin does decide to come to Los Angeles and decides that going Hollywood is more effective than going "rogue," she better at least remember that Rodeo Drive isn't a rodeo, that Forest Lawn is a cemetery for celebrities, not somewhere she can hunt, and that the L.A. smog is not something that the "liberal media" can be blamed for.