Though you have to respect the political intelligence of both George Will and Karl Rove, their recent criticism regarding former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s decision to participate in a reality show and how such a thing automatically diminishes her as a potential presidential candidate is, at best, only half correct because it ignores the reality of her present circumstance. Assuming Palin does intend to run for the presidency in 2012 — and I think there’s a slightly better chance than not that she does — you have to ask yourself what the best path to that goal is for her. Considering the unique obstacles Palin faces, at the very least she deserves credit for recognizing the political power of popular entertainment culture as a way around them.
Right now we live in an America governed by a President who entered office with a less than distinguished record as a state senator and only a two year record as a United States senator where he accomplished little more than to run for president. And yet it’s Sarah Palin, a two-term mayor, former governor and chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission who’s had the narrative built up and fortified around her that she doesn’t have the experience to be the president of the United States. And who built that narrative? The media.
How exactly is someone supposed to rehabilitate their political image through the same media that willfully and dishonestly destroyed it? The fact that the media is more hostile towards Palin than anyone in our lifetime is not even in dispute anymore — meaning, the traditional avenues available to most politicos for a rehabilitation tour aren’t available to her. After a near-fatal bimbo eruption nearly cost him the Democratic nomination in 1992, Bill Clinton could turn to “60 Minutes” for a second chance. Barack Obama will forever be able to go most anywhere he pleases to get his message out. Earlier this month, even George W. Bush could count on respectful treatment from the likes of Matt Lauer and Oprah Winfrey. Palin, however, is boxed in by what she knows is an entertainment and MSM establishment gunning for her, who see every opportunity to embarrass her as another set of cocktail party bragging rights.
If you remember the corrupt political coverage of 2008, rather than talk about the record of a self-made governor with a compelling personal story who worked her way up the political ladder by fighting corruption in her own party, I can’t count the number of times the likes of CNN used valuable broadcast time to run that previous Saturday night’s clip of Tina Fey mercilessly mocking the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. Rather than doing their job and, for good or bad, allowing Palin’s own personal story and record to define her, the media instead chose to allow a mean-spirited comedian to do that on their behalf. And don’t think for a second this wasn’t intentional.
So the question I would ask Rove and Will is exactly what is it they would suggest Palin do to present who she really is to as much of the American public as possible given the reality that any attempt to once again chance the MSM gauntlet would most certainly be a suicide run.
Since 2008, this indomitable mother of five has written no less than two books and a number of thoughtful columns on Facebook. She’s also a star political analyst on the powerhouse that is Fox News and has travelled extensively around the country on her book tour and during the 2010 election; meeting voters, giving speeches, and helping to galvanize the landmark political phenom that is the Tea Party. These are not only fairly traditional methods of shoring up your presidential contender bona fides, they’re also impressive accomplishments.
Which leaves the one non-traditional method that some feel is an automatic disqualifier, the TLC reality show “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”
If nothing else, while reasonable and savvy guys like Rove and Will might disagree with her choice, you have to admire Palin’s willingness to think outside the box to forge a new political path. Certainly, as mentioned above, this is partly out of necessity, but you have to wonder if she didn’t learn something from Tina Fey that our side has been frustratingly slow to learn: just how potent a political tool popular culture is. As someone who has spent the last decade frustrated over our side’s refusal to engage in pop culture, our side’s seeming inability to understand the power of entertainment, Palin’s willingness to jump in with both feet feels like a moment of personal vindication. Finally, a conservative has figured out the obvious.
Regardless of what her ultimate political goal is, what Palin is doing through her television show as well as social media such as Twitter and Faceboook, is obvious. This is all a pretty ingenious ju-jitsu move that allows her to turn the hostile media’s obsession with her into a platform where she can get an unfiltered message through directly to the people. Katie Couric can’t maliciously edit a Tweet, Anderson Cooper can’t bait a Facebook post, and the MSM as a whole can’t put a funhouse mirror up to an appealing and relatable family when they have their own television show.
I also disagree with Rove and Will that the very idea of doing a reality show automatically qualifies as “non-presidential” or “chasing celebrity.” in the past, we’ve seen presidents and future presidents survive and even prosper after appearances on “Saturday Night Live,” “Laugh In,” “The Daily Show,” and blowing a sax on Arsenio Hall. In fact, a politician holding on to their dignity in such a setting can offer some insight into their character, and thus far “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” certainly hasn’t resulted in anything undignified.
The route to the presidency keeps evolving. When the great American experiment first began it was considered undignified to campaign. Then it wasn’t. FDR was the first politician to understand the power of radio, JFK TV. Maybe Palin will be remembered as the first to harness the power and possibilities of the growing reality show landscape. Or maybe she’ll be the first to realize its pitfalls.
Regardless, like she did to cross that glacier in the premier episode of “Alaska,” what I think Palin is doing is tying herself to the only people she trusts and cautiously and bravely making her way along a treacherous path filled with pitfalls. Here and there, she pokes the ground to make sure the footing is solid and sometimes it’s not. But she has a goal in mind, she’s young, and there’s no quit in her.
And so she finds another way and keeps right on coming.
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