Fear Not: ‘President Palin’ Will Never Become a Reality

With the release of her new autobiography and the kickoff of her cross-country press tour, many are hinting that Palin is aiming for the White House come 2012 — but the hockey mom’s primetime second episode doesn’t signify much more than an international hunger for some fresh Palin gossip.

Admit it: We all find the Palin buzz amusing at the least. Vanity Fair even dubbed Palin the “American Gossip Girl.” Because of the publicity she received during last year’s election, many Americans still follow Palin’s story with great interest.

But will all the hungry eyes turn to votes in three years? A CBS poll released last Monday found that 66 percent of Americans don’t think Palin should even try at the oval office — and, in the end, it’s doubtful that a country still YouTubing Tina Fey’s Palin impersonations will elect the “pit bull with lipstick” to run Washington.

— Arik Buravoksy

Staff Writer

Palin’s Overexposure Reveals Her Ingrate Within

The Palin publicity blitz of the past week has been an exercise in excuses.

That infamous CBS interview? Katie Couric’s fault. Her disastrous debate skills? Palin blame the guy who wrote the note cards.

After all the controversy over her rather pricey campaign wardrobe, Palin sobbed that she didn’t even pick out her own clothes — every day, a stylist would lay out new designer duds (Palin just had to point).

In fact, by her accounts, the one-time governor of Alaska has just about everyone to blame but herself.

But it’s time for her to wake up, smell the fresh Alaskan/Russian air and realize that without all those people who allegedly set out to make her a televised tragedy, she would still be shooting moose from a helicopter. So, please, Palin — stop blaming everyone else and try proving you’re not just an angry opportunist.

— Cheryl Hori

Associate Opinion Editor

It’s Our Own Fault the Palin Media Circus Is Still Sold Out

If a week’s worth of unprecedented media coverage (the Associated Press alone dedicated 11 employees to fact-checking the Palin autobiography — turns out she’s stayed in “robe and slippers” hotels on Alaska’s dime, after all) has reminded us of anything about the hockey mom, it’s that she’s endlessly captivating.

What other failed vice-presidential contender can not only claim a spot on Oprah Winfrey’s coveted couch 12 months after the fact, but also draws more viewers than the talk show’s seen in two years? John Edwards might have a love child and a strong jaw on his side, but even he can’t come close to rivaling Palin’s star power.

The fact that the former governor has amassed a following of those who both loathe and love her speaks to just how craftily she’s shaped her image. No amount of televised flub-ups will make us any less mesmerized by the former governor — because in the end, we the captive audience are the reason for this whole media circus.

— Trevor Cox

Opinion Editor