'Sarah Palin's Alaska': The Most Expensive Campaign Commercial Ever?

http://www.businessinsider.com ^ | Nov. 22, 2010, 12:35 PM | Glynnis MacNicol

[Maelstorm]

Any remaining doubts that Sarah Palin is the most media savvy politician out there should have been erased entirely with last week's premiere of her new TLC show Sarah Palin's Alaska (SPAlaska!).

Back in March when rumors that Palin and producer Mark Burnett were shopping a reality show first surfaced speculation that the proposed series would be about Palin's family were quickly shot down. Two weeks ago during a spashy premiere party for the show, hosted by Discovery, the savvy team promoting the show insisted to attendees it would not be political. Of course, within minutes of last week's premiere, in which (blurred out) write Joe McGinniss -- who has rented out the house next door to the Palin's in order to research his new book -- featured prominently, both claims were quickly proven untrue. The show is nothing if not an extended political commericial for (decisive! adventurous!) Sarah Palin, starring her family members, each of whom get their own shout-out in the opening credits.

Conclusion? Essentially Palin has convinced TLC to pay her six figures every week to convince the country she is presidential material (making Mark Burnett her Karl Rove?). Or, at the very least, she possesses the kind of decisive backbone required to stun a Halibut with a billy club (part of last night's mother/daughter day with Bristol) and by extension her political opponents.

The result is apparently enough to convince Frank Rich that she has a shot at being President.

Thanks to the in-kind contribution of this “nonpolitical” series, Palin needn’t join standard-issue rivals like Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Haley Barbour and Tim Pawlenty in groveling before donors and primary-state operatives to dutifully check all the boxes of a traditional Republican campaign. Palin not only has TLC in her camp but, better still, Murdoch.

[USS Alaska]

I think that the fact that Sarah is getting paid big bucks for these 8 shows, made millions on her first {and probably her second} book{s] is the top item that is making both libs and many pubbies froth at the mouth.

We know that that rinos fear her and there are many on FR, that have an irrational contempt for her. These FR naysayers usually start like this, "I love Sarah, BUT, .......... {you can fill in the blank, since we've all seen it too many times}.

I normally jump into those posts but they are wearing me out, and there is no changing of their minds.

[gundog]

More aptly, the only profitable campaign commercial ever.

[umgud]

Any idea how many of us watched last night?

Don't know about last night, but the 1st week was a records breaker at nearly 5 million viewers.

[unseen1]

rove after taking one look at this show understood how it would destroy the Establishment. which explains why he tried to preempt it and trash it out of the gate. sadly many people heard him and allowed him to set their narrative for it instead of allowing an open mind on it. but the show is rapidliy showing the lie to Rove’s words.....

Palin = 1
rove = 0

[deport]

The ratings were great.

---

What were the ratings for Episode II?

[gundog]

"I love Sarah, BUT, .......... ,

I love Sarah, but....I'd much prefer to see Obama wading in a stream with a brown bear. Ya just know that'd be fun.

[Mr. Thorne]

Wife and I did. Lots of fun. Story about baby shower at shooting range, and how she loves to tell the story ‘cause it gets the liberals’ all wee-weed up,’ Todd’s starpower (Alaskans want pix with the 4 time IronDog champ), ‘take your prom hair home, mom’, on and on.

She even has GOP elephants on her workout socks. = )

[unseen1]

only if he was covered in honey

[McGruff]

Here's the Looooser.

Glynnis MacNicol

Glynnis MacNicol Editor, The Wire

Glynnis MacNicol is the editor of Business insider's media page The Wire.  She was formerly the senior editor of Mediaite.com, the media news, opinion, and rankings site launched by former MSNBC anchor/GM Dan Abrams in July 2009. Prior to Mediaite, Glynnis was the editor of FishbowlNY, the mediabistro.com blog about New York media and was a regular contributor to Playboy.com during the 2008 Presidential election year. She began her media career as an associate editor at the Huffington Post media blog Eat the Press

[Servant of the Cross]

I’m sure it is exploding some Republican insider’s heads too.

Hilarious. Exactly. And the GOPer's heads that are being exploded are harrumphing that this isn't presidential and that it will kill her chances. Isn't that what they want?! Then exactly why are they worried and hyperventilating rather than being happy. [??] If it is so bad, she's taking herself out of contention, right?

And now we have Frank Rich howling from the Left that Sarah is being paid to conduct her POTUS campaign!

[bcsco]

Nice shotgun as well. And what awesome views from their perch on Denali...

[dforest]

Could be, but the pay was good too.

[BillM]

The killer line was “Mom, take your prom hair and go away!”

[Logical me]

Thank God for Sarah. Both shows were a real breath of fresh air in the real American. Can't wait for the rest of the shows. Bristol was fantastic. What a gutsy girl.

[HalfFull]

How many other candidates get a multi-hour campaign commercial, get a cable station to foot the bill, AND get a seven figure salary for filming it?

Yep...she sure is dumb as a fence post /s

[bcsco]

You don’t mean that guy that was born about 30 miles West of me, do ya? What was his name again...

[frposty]

I enjoyed when they were on that fishing boat, and Sarah said to Bristol something like ‘Bristol, there’s a lesson here — there are a lot of fish in the sea”

It’s quite a good show. Beautiful scenery, good looking people that are entertaining while at the same time wholesome. And Sarah’s the natural-born star.

Regardless of the production expense of the show, TLC will get its costs paid by the sponsors. Nothing out of order here.

[wac3rd]

I watched it last night for the first time and it is a nice peek at the life of the Palins...

The only criticism is the fact that Obama is completely over-exposed and I hope Sarah does not do the same thing.

[Political Junkie Too]

More "expensive" than CBS' coordinated effort with the DNC when they ran John Kerry's ad "Fortunate Son," timed to coincide with Dan Rather's story on George Bush's forged Texas Air National Guard records?

-PJ

[kcvl]

Jealous much, Glynnis?