Commentary: Palin goes for the gold - literally

HTRNNews: Commentary: Palin goes for the gold - literally
Politics is a business, and Sarah Palin embodies that co-mingling more than anybody. She came from a modest background and as governor did not enrich herself, but she didn't go away empty-handed after losing her vice-presidential bid.

She turned a losing campaign, a campaign where she was the butt of jokes, into an endless publicity tour. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that she resigned as governor even though the decision to step down reinforced the view that she lacks the stature to lead the country.

Palin reportedly earned $8 million her first year as a free agent, and whenever media interest in her fades, she pops back onto the stage to ensure the speaking fees and book deals keep coming. The New York Times reported that the Palins bought a house in Phoenix that could serve as a campaign headquarters, enough of a news tidbit to rev up the guessing game about whether or not she will run for president.

Tellingly, however, Fox News Network has not dropped her from their lineup like they did Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum when those two made noises about the presidency, an indication that Fox doesn't think she is a likely candidate. The pundits are divided over Palin's intentions with some saying she is forging a whole new path to the presidency, one that is paved with her celebrity, and others saying it's all publicity.

It's true that someone with 100 percent name recognition doesn't necessarily have to follow the formula of shaking hands in Iowa and New Hampshire. But Palin risks alienating voters if she doesn't work the grassroots in these two early stages that have come to expect hands-on attention.

The alternative view is that Palin has no intention of mounting a serious bid for the presidency, and that her candidacy has more in common with Donald Trump's pseudo campaign. It is about boosting her ratings and her pocketbook, making sure she's not over-shadowed by other contenders.

As the 2012 GOP field begins to take shape, it won't be long before the voters, if not the media, conclude she's gaming the system. If she were truly seeking the presidency, this would be a huge setback for Palin the politician. But Palin the businesswoman cares less about votes; she is a brand and she's doing a phenomenal job marketing her brand.

In 2008, Palin liked to compare herself to Hillary Clinton, saying she drew inspiration from Clinton while Clinton did her best to distance herself from Palin. In this year's presidential race, Palin has an understudy — Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann, who plans to announce her intentions in Waterloo, Iowa, coincidentally her birthplace.

Supporters of both women say it's unfair to compare the two, that it's sexist, but they draw from the same base of social conservatives, and are competing for the same slice of the GOP primary electorate. More than any of the men in the race, Palin and Bachmann speak to the grievances of voters who feel dissed by Washington elites.

Bachmann appears more serious about mounting a conventional presidential run even though, like Palin, she appears under-educated and ill-informed. But she's a good organizer and she knows how to raise money. Maybe Palin has some master plan, but to an outside observer, she appears to do things more on a whim, driven by a need to recapture the spotlight whenever she feels her primacy as a phenomenon is threatened.

Like Paris Hilton and other well-known celebrities, she has become famous for being famous — and wealthy in the process. Palin is no longer a politician; she's a performer, and she's going for the gold, literally.