Sarah Palin and profit-motive politics

The logic — and risks — of faking a presidential campaign to build brand value

Sunday, Jun 5, 2011 11:01 ET
By Alyssa Battistoni

Since kicking off her "One Nation" bus tour, Sarah Palin has insisted that she’s just on a road trip to see iconic places in American history, like the part of New Hampshire where Mitt Romney declared his presidential candidacy. Suspicious that even a Real American like Palin would need a bus bedecked with the Constitution for a simple family vacation, the media has been beside itself trying to figure out if this means Palin is running for president. But it’s almost beside the point. Whether she’s testing the waters for a presidential bid or just testing a new reality show format, Palin wins either way.

Nothing she’s done since resigning her position as governor of Alaska really suggests she’s planning a serious presidential candidacy, nor are her current activities indicative of any real commitment to public service. What they do demonstrate is an understanding that outrageous statements, calculated controversy and the blurring of the line between candidate and celebrity are a sure route to lots of attention — and lots of money.

For all of Palin’s gushing over the Statue of Liberty and Independence Hall, the most revealing stop of the trip occurred Wednesday, when she sat down for a slice of pizza with Donald Trump. Fresh off his own feint at a presidential bid, Trump seems to share Palin’s understanding that there’s money to be made in political celebrity.

Usually, the money-politics relationship works the other way. Mitt Romney is a classic case of a wealthy wannabe contender who’s used the considerable funds at his disposal to buy name recognition. But what Palin and Trump have figured out is that high profiles can generate money rather than the reverse. Of course, it’s nothing new for politicians to cash in on their reputations after leaving office; hefty book advances and cushy jobs as consultants are pretty standard. But not many politicians have the celebrity — or the audacity — to use their political career as an extremely lucrative piece of performance art.

Because whether by picking fights with the president or allying oneself with conspiracy theorists, parlaying political fame into fortune requires two things: getting the spotlight and staying in it.

CONTINUED

Sarah Palin and profit-motive politics – War Room – Salon.com