Now that the midterm elections are over, we can forget about former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for a while, right?
Not so fast! Palin has found a way to stay in your brain that can only be called political genius — her reality show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. Sure Karl Rove and other heavyweight Republicans have publicly scoffed, saying if she really wants to run for president in 2012, no one will ever take her seriously if she’s also a reality TV star.
I hate to break if to Rove and his pals, but Governor Sarah has found the perfect vehicle to have voters see her in exactly the way she wants to be seen. She’s turned reality television into the new campaign trail.
She fishes! She kayaks! She jumps crevasses of glaciers in a single bound! She’s a “mama grizzly” and she isn’t afraid to stare one down on a family fishing trip:
Plus, she can wrassle up some food for the menfolk and keep an eye on her kids all at once!
Think I’m joking? The rugged family storyline worked pretty well for George W. Bush while he was clearing all that brush on the ranch. And remember how outdoorsy Ronald Reagan looked riding his horse, complete with cowboy hat and boots? Even Teddy Roosevelt knew that Americans connect with those who aren’t afraid to take on the big outdoors.
But can it work for a woman? Fair question, and for a lot it probably wouldn’t. But Sarah Palin has been working that portrait of wilderness motherhood for a while. She’s got her fans convinced that a “mom of the wild” is exactly what this country needs to shake things up.
I’m no fan of Palin, but I give her credit for snagging this moment to keep charge of her political persona. Sure, her approval rating is in the tank, but it’s probably nothing some “reality” imagery can’t fix. And be careful, Karl — Sarah’s got a long memory. If she wins, you’re toast.
