Palin: The Next Celebrity President?

(Aired on September 24, 2010)

In november of 2008, I happened to be down in Hawaii when Barack Obama was elected president of the United States.  You could tell that change was in the wind, and a member of the old guard like John McCain didn't stand a chance.  The campaign was significant in that Obama rose through the Democratic ranks with a groundswell of grassroots support to snag the nomination.  Obama had converted a lot of supporters of other candidates because he represented someone young, energetic, and wise.  He was an eloquent speaker, yet was down to earth enough to shoot hoops on his down time.  Obama was a genuine celebrity.

After that, he had so much momentum, it carried him right through to the White House, and had a lot of people treating him like a messiah.  Since then, it has become clear that he is not the messiah, and his presidency has lost a lot of its lustre.

But if you thought he was a celebrity, you ain't seen nothing yet.  Sarah Palin has become a much bigger celebrity to most americans.  For a lot of people, Palin is more of a breath of fresh air.  While she can't touch Obama as an orator or a thinker, she has a tonne of charisma and that can make up for a lot of flaws.  That charisma has been front and centre in the media ever since 2008, even though the next presidential vote is a long way away.

Palin's desire for the spotlight tells me two things.  First, I don't think anyone doubts she will take a run at the White House herself in 2012.  But second, it tells me she is far more interested in being seen than being a leader.  Sarah Palin wants to be in books, she wants to be on TV, and she wants to be on the tips of people's tongues, far more than she wants to be in the White House.  My worry is that she will get to the White House in 2012, and will have no idea what to do once she's there.  We already had that problem with a certain Texas oilman called Dubya.