Sarah Palin Is A New Breed Of Public Figure, “As Big As Princess Di”

by Joe Coscarelli | 10:06 am, February 6th, 2010

» 7 comments

An extensive feature in today’s New York Times calls Sarah Palin “a new breed of unelected public figure operating in an environment in which politics, news media and celebrity are fused as never before.” By running down her weekly responsibilities and previewing her events calendar for the coming days, the piece paints Palin as an unstoppable national brand and even “as big a celebrity as Princess Di,” according to one Alaskan journalist.

The article draws a contrast between the way Palin operates — often out of her own home through Facebook, Twitter and a soon-to-be built television studio courtesy of Fox News — and the reach of her voice, amplified in columns, emails, press releases and endorsements. And to what end? “[A] presidential run, a de facto role as the leader of the Tea Party movement, a lucrative career as a roving media entity — or all of the above,” according to Times writer Mark Leibovich.

Ms. Palin represents a new breed of unelected public figure operating in an environment in which politics, news media and celebrity are fused as never before. Whether she ever runs for anything else, Ms. Palin has already achieved a status that has become an end in itself: access to an electronic bully pulpit, a staff to guide her, an enormous income and none of the bother or accountability of having to govern or campaign for office.

The piece goes on to detail Palin’s quiet assembling of “the infrastructure of an expanding political operation,” including a stable of “policy counselors,” though the former governor herself declined to comment. She has completely outgrown Alaskan politics, according to the article, leaving her “basically invisible” in her home state, but a giant celebrity “everywhere else.” Which reminds us — isn’t being a celebrity politician a bad thing?

Sarah is Vocal and ready, but for What? [New York Times]

New York Times, Sarah Palin, Sarah Palin Princess Diana, Soundbite

Rachel Sklar

“None of the bother or accountability of having to govern or campaign for office.” – that’s the key to Palin. Where accountability is required, she falls way short.
writer

She is unique. According to MSNBC, she’s both insignificant and a huge threat all at the same time.
DEO

Sarah Palin/Fabio 2012!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Adkins/1585417987 Bill Adkins

Palin ‘as big as Princess Di?’ I think more appropriate ‘a second rate Evita Peron,’ maybe that ’70s version Juan tried to sell. Are you serious? Palin is to politics what a single wide is to a trailer park. That Republicans and teabaggers are promoting her as some kind of poltiical powerhouse, as qualified, is indicative as to just how far down the tubes they are and where they started. But, hey, run her with anyone you want on the top or the bottom of the ticket. She’s still a loser because THINKING and INTELLIGENT Americans, those who are of the majority and have a grasp on reality (certainly not Tea Partiers) will never put her into national office. Hell, she couldn’t win a governor’s race in Alaska now, she’s already humiliated the state.
http://trickletown.vox.com/ Trickletown

She doesn’t need to be in a national office. She is the bane of every douchebag leftie exposed to the fact that she even exists! That is an awsome power in itself.
P.S. She is currently addressing that convention ( watching on C-Span). I don’t much care what she says, but damn, she looks good in those spikes!
blueblogger

All I can say at the moment is that at least she hasn’t WINKED yet!!! What a whackjob!!!
AikidoJoe

Rachel Sklar says:
February 6, 2010 at 10:24 am

“None of the bother or accountability of having to govern or campaign for office.” – that’s the key to Palin. Where accountability is required, she falls way short.

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Obama is great on accountability too. He said at least 8 times that under his health care plan if you wanted to keep your current health care plan and doctor that you could. Then after straight face lying all those times he admitted at the House Republican Q&A that with the provisions in the bill that we wouldn’t be able to keep them. Has anyone followed up to see if those provisions were taken out? Maybe instead of worrying about Palin you could find that out for us. For some reason, I doubt you will. You can go back to sitting at your desk worrying about Glenn Beck and Palin now.