Was Sarah Palin just a fad?
It wasn't so long ago that she was the most talked-about woman in America
On Friday evening, Real Clear Politics broke the story that Sarah Palin would not be renewing her contract with Fox News. On Saturday, Howard Kurtz reported that the network made a "limited effort" to keep her, and offered her a less-generous contract than it had the first time around.
Kurtz concludes that "Palin's star had faded." Palin was undoubtedly a hotter commodity a few years ago than she is today. Still, I think the issue isn't so much that Palin's star has faded as it is that there are so many new GOP stars on the rise.
Before 2010, almost no one knew who Marco Rubio, Nikki Haley, Susana Martinez, Chris Christie, or Rand Paul were. Today, they are nearly household names and the future of the Republican Party. They are more relevant than Palin. After all, each of them actually holds office — something Palin gave up when she resigned halfway through her gubernatorial term in 2009.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
If you're managing the Palin "brand," you've got to be astonished by how many challengers to her market niche have risen so quickly.
Of course, her departure wasn't a complete surprise. Prior to her split with Fox News, Palin had complained about dwindling appearances on the network. The problem was that the rationale for booking her always had more to do with her cult of personality than her ability to eloquently elevate a discussion about policy or politics.
Like a movie where the concept is better than the execution, having Palin on your show became an end unto itself. She often made news by saying provocative things, but she rarely provided particularly insightful political analysis.
Seasoned campaign veterans like Ed Rollins and brilliant political commentators like Charles Krauthammer can basically live off the land. They will always see something in our politics that the average viewer doesn't. They'll always be able to share some story about how the Gipper or Dick Nixon handled a similar situation. Cable networks aren't paying them for their image, but for their knowledge, insight, and experience — the exact sort of experience Palin lacks. (Of course, it's perfectly understandable that she falls short in these areas, considering she was plucked from relative obscurity less than five years ago...)
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This is not to say Palin doesn't have some insight to offer. If you're a producer booking guests for a segment on selecting a vice president, she's a great "get." If the topic is Alaska, energy, or women in politics — by all means, give her a call.
But those topics don't come up every day. And you certainly don't keep someone on the payroll earning a million bucks a year for it.
The sad thing is that Palin had great potential. I understand why she didn't remain governor of Alaska, though that office would have provided a platform for political relevance. And I fully appreciate that she probably earned more money (and possibly made a bigger difference in the short term) by eschewing the advice so many offered — that she should go back to Alaska after 2008 and bone up on the issues. And who knows, maybe she will make a comeback. After all, Glenn Beck may not have his own Fox News show anymore, but he is wildly successful on the internet. Maybe Palin will reinvent herself as the conservative Oprah?
A couple years ago, I felt that Palin was arguably the most significant female politician of the young 21st century. But for today at least, it looks more like she might have been a fad — a sort of one-hit wonder who burned bright, but flamed out way too quickly.
If politics is increasingly becoming about entertainment (and, sadly, I think it is), it only stands to reason that while some stars (like Madonna) can reinvent themselves for a few decades, others will quickly rise, and quickly fall. The public is fickle, and fame is hard. And when your fame isn't about deep substance, you always live with the risk that someone fresher and shinier will come along and displace you.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Matt K. Lewis is a contributing editor at TheWeek.com and a senior contributor for The Daily Caller. He has written for outlets including GQ Politics, The Guardian, and Politico, and has been cited or quoted by outlets including New York Magazine, the Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matt co-hosts The DMZ on Bloggingheads.TV, and also hosts his own podcast. In 2011, Business Insider listed him as one of the 50 "Pundits You Need To Pay Attention To Between Now And The Election." And in 2012, the American Conservative Union honored Matt as their CPAC "Blogger of the Year." He currently lives in Alexandria, Va.
-
UAW scores historic win in South at VW plant
Speed Read Volkswagen workers in Tennessee have voted to join the United Auto Workers union
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 22, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - dystopian laughs, WNBA salaries, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published