Sarah Palin Has Captured Our Imagination

Americans can't get enough of Sarah Palin. It doesn't matter which side of the Sarah Palin argument you're on. Awe or apoplexy produces the same result: Give me more coverage of Sarah.

The Times today follows my Vanity Fair colleague Todd Purdum with a meticulous documentation of Palin's personal and professional dysfunction that should, reasonably, doom any political career.

And yet, I dare say, that won't be the effect of the Times' investigation at all. Each Palin disaster, instead of spelling the end of her, sets the story up for a new chapter -- even if it's a new disaster.

We're no longer looking at Palin as principally a politician. We see her as the main character in a satisfying tale that over and over again confirms whatever it is we want to think about her.

We certainly don't want this story to end.

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Comments

[writeon1]

I agree with cgr. I think we keep reading and commenting because it isquite scarey having a "Palin" out there. I mean she came pretty close to VP with just a wink and a smile. http://newsy1.wordpress.com

[USA1776]

She is such a fun train wreck to watch like "Jon & Kate" ... total tabloid material being covered int he political press. It is a relaity show in real time.

[sunnyjane]

Sarah Palin cannot succeed in politics. The evidence of this fact is not just her lack of knowledge and experience, but her refusal to take counsel and advice from veteran supporters, the Hey-we're-­on-your-si­de people in her own party.

The McCain campaign staff tried hard to steer her in the right direction and she ignored them and went "rogue." Nick Ayres, who is something-or-other in the Republican party, went to Alaska with a game plan for her. She "listened very nicely, then went out and did precisely what she wanted."

When you keep bitiing the hand that feeds you (figuratively) you cannot succeed. Your reptuation, even among those who would like to help you, soon makes you toxic. No politician, including John McCain, will

[mark742]

She reminds me of a young George W. Bush, and I remember thinking that there is no way that he would ever succeed in politics. In fact, I remember thinking that twice!

[doxiedame]

Sarah Palin will self-destruct. The more chances she has to speak...th­ose chances will increase now that she's "gone fishing"..­.the greater the odds that she'll put one of her red vinyl high heels into her own lip-lined mouth...an­d say something that will be so revealing that it will be enough to silence her following.

The ONLY thing that gave her any clout was her governor title...th­at she no longer has.

Going off on a tangent here...how does one give 3 week's notice from a governor position and take off to go fishing? Accrued vacation time? One would think that she'd be very busy "orienting" her replacement to the unfinished business in Alaska.

[bighat]

Wonder what the likelihood of our first woman president will be a palin/liz cheney ticket

and without the help of any women's group

impossible you say

how many of you thought that Palin would be continue to be in the news

i do not know her base is and by reading I do not think anyone knows who her base is. It is not republican or right wing. and not democrat

could it be a wake up call to the leaders in both parties that the citizens are upset with the 2 party leadership from strategists to members of congress

[SharpDressedMan]

What is the name of your teabagging ideology?

[Imago]

"how many of you thought that Palin would be continue to be in the news"

I sure did!

She's got too many elements of an ongoing soap opera to disappear overnight-- handsome dysfunctional family, legal and moral conundrums, diehard fans who find glamour and drama in watching her, and a daily dose of drama. Add to that a burning hunger for the spotlight and a photogenic face, and you've got a winner. At least in the weird celebrity for celebrity's sake (does this woman have any talents other than self promotion?) way. As a politician, pundit, or policy wonk, she's so far from winning she can't, well, see it from her house. Or really anywhere else.

I don't think her base is that mysterious at all -- it's the hard right, bible-thumping Christian set.

From a Pew poll right before her resignation:

"Her numbers were especially strong, according to the Pew report, among conservative Republicans (80% favorable) and white evangelical Republicans (84%). These ratings also have depth: Twenty-eight percent (28%) of Republicans, 31% of white evangelical Republicans and 32% of conservative Republicans report "very favorable" impression of Palin "

http://www.pollster.com/blogs/palins_base.php

[trying-to-be-objective]

I admit it. You caught me. I'm uncontrollably drawn to following Palin's ridiculous antics, the same way the northbound side of the freeway jams up with rubberneckers when there's a big accident on the southbound side.

[rbenjamin]

Captured our imagination? If we are to accept your bleak assessment, and I do, Sarah Palin has raped and strangled our imaginations.

[SharpDressedMan]

I agree with Michael Wolff but there is more to the Palin saga. Each debacle or mishap however great or small continues to draw support from her base and opposition from elsewhere. Her supporters defend polls of her favorable ratings and close their eyes to her unfavorable ratings. They are too high for political success. She helped drive many Republicans from the GOP since those famous interviews and incendiary rallies last autumn.

Without support outside her shrinking base, she will never enter the White House except when wearing a visitor's badge.

[bighat]

interesting comment.

her base will dwindle. My question is how will Palin's base dwindle. She is hated by both political parties. she is hated by the media. the media only put her in the news and print because she is news. sells papers, magazines, and increases viewership. I have yet to see a positive article on Palin by anyone. Yet Palin is still there. Becoming a rockstar. bigger than life. Pubicity good or bad seems to propel her.

If Palin has a base it is with the average american. Many of whom are starting to like Palin because they see both republicans and democrats along with media not only knocking her down but putting the boots to her while she is down. yet Palin seems to have something in common with the timex watch. she keeps on ticking. I would have used the bunny but the bunny would have been torn apart long ago by those that hate palin

[Tom Joad]

I don't harbor any imaginary fantasies about the former governor of Alaska...w­ell, yes I do, but they're not the ones you think they are...

[MisterParadox]

What strikes me as surprising is how so many people support her despite the fact that she does not appear to be up to date on any of the political arguments of the 21st century.

Again, this just goes down as a testament to the lack of interest Americans show in politics, government and world affairs.

[Tom Joad]

...put two and two together..­.She was in college in the 80's; Ronald Reagan was President in the 80's; What little she learned about politics, she learned then and hasn't learned a thing since. She is not what one would refer to as a "Life-Long Learner"..­.

[SharpDressedMan]

This doesn't have anything to do with which century we are in. Sarah Palin strikes chords in emotional driven issues and primal traits such as greed and discrimination. No matter how advanced a society is, some of its members are driven by primal tendencies. Sarah Palin stokes such people.

The problem is further compounded by the decades long erosion of a well rounded education throughout the population. Not enough people in America are adequately educated in English, history, geography, civics and economics.

[bighat]

Palin is what other politicians want to be. The ultimate outsider. One who can hire the smart people for advice

[allonfla]

What fascinates me is how the media keeps propping her up.

[bighat]

the media

the people propping Palin up are you, me and the others who write countless comments. Palin has had 1 to 3 articles about Palin daily for weeks. Do not believe the average commenter on huffpost is a palin fan or have any wish to prop her up but we are just the same by the sheer magnititude of our comments

why does huffpost carry so many articles on Palin. Because she is controversial and it solicits more comments than any other article including healthcare

[Chuckwheat]

Yeah, everyone wants to see her nekkid.

[cgr]

Oh, you're so wrong...mo­st of us definitely would like to see this story end. The only "fascination" most of us have is due to the fact she was put in a possible position of being second in line to the Oval office, unthinkable, alarming, dangerous, but true. We're watching her for fear she'll actually wield some power somewhere. And she does...rab­ble-rousin­g the hateful and bigoted, promoting narrowminded and radical so-called Christian agendas. Thus she is a very real threat to all but the fringe right.