WASHINGTON: It’s official: Sarah Palin will now join the ranks of Mike Huckabee, Karl Rove and Joe Scarborough as Republicans-turned-talking heads.
Monday’s announcement that Palin will join Fox News as a contributor is the perfect platform for the celebrity politician. Palin’s appeal no longer straddles simple political lines, but broader cultural ones: This is because she is no longer a politician but a pop culture icon and a celebrity.
The success of her recently released autobiography as well as the media’s fascination with her have made her one of the nation’s top news voices and figureheads.
The former Alaska governor signed a deal with Fox News to appear as a contributor on the network, and Monday’s announcement is the next step in the logical progression of her career.
But by signing a deal to become a TV commentator, some observers say the one-time Republican vice presidential candidate has sent a clear message to the political world.
That message: She’s unlikely to run in the 2012 presidential race.
“I do think maybe it suggests, sadly for Democrats, that she might not be running,” said Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala. “Democrats ... are pretty confident they can defeat Sarah Palin. She’s not going to beat Barack Obama.”
While Palin will probably never be president, it’s clear that many of her critics have underestimated her ability to tap into the grievances and discontent of large social and geographic blocs in the country.
Palin observers say she is a true, Hollywood-type celebrity with a bestselling book and millions of adoring fans. She may have designs on the presidency, but she evidently wants to soak up the perks and adulation of her celebrity first, and she has done that with gusto.
Palin’s resignation as governor of Alaska last summer was abrupt and unusual, and she is still paying for that decision: “Let’s first hope for (Fox News President) Roger Ailes’ sake that she doesn’t quit that job the way she quit her job as governor of Alaska,” Begala joked.
But seen through the lens of celebrity, many justify her decision as understandable. The isolated confines of Juneau were too small for Palin when she returned following the presidential election. And, she’s now earning a heck-of-a-lot more money.
Palin’s strident, conservative manner, her deep Republican stripes, and her penchant for publicity make her a superb fit for television and a regular slot on Fox News will be an immediate sensation and will surely expand its imprint on the national stage, giving her a place to build and shape her public persona.
Palin’s aggressive partisanship wouldn’t work for network television, nor CNN or left-leaning MSNBC.
That leaves Fox, which, as America’s most popular cable news channel, provides the best platform for Palin to cement her base of adoring fans on the conservative network as well as keep herself relevant.
And while she is expected to be paid millions for her job at Fox, she will also use the new job to strengthen her public conversational and oratorical skills.
The strategy behind the Palin-Fox marriage can be traced to the News Channel president Roger Ailes.
Ailes, a brilliant former Republican operative, has infused a Republican viewpoint into the channel’s programming, as evidenced by its lineup of Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and even Palin’s potential presidential rival Mike Huckabee, who hosts a low-profile weekend show.
Another reason this is such a great fit for both Palin and Fox? Both appear to enjoy upsetting and besting Democrats. Officially, of course, they both claim otherwise: “It’s wonderful to be part of a place that so values fair and balanced news,” Palin said in a written release.
One last thing: The claim made by Sarah Palin in August that President Obama’s healthcare proposals included plans to introduce ‘death panels’ has been chosen as the political ‘lie of the year’ by the editors of PolitiFact.com, the fact-checking website of the St. Petersburg Times.
