'Paris Hilton' Palin Perfect Politician for Internet Age

Resignation was genius move, writes Greg Beato
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 18, 2009 4:54 AM CDT
'Paris Hilton' Palin Perfect Politician for Internet Age
Sarah Palin gives her resignation speech during a ceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska, where Palin turned over the governorship to Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell.    (AP Photo/Al Grillo, file)

Politics is due for a shake-up of the kind the Internet gave to music and newspapers—and Sarah Palin looks like the only politician ready to deliver, Greg Beato writes in Reason. Palin's resignation makes her a true maverick, Beato writes. Just like Paris Hilton realized you don't need to act to be a Hollywood star, Palin has realized you don't need to hold office to be a politician, he notes.

Palin "embodies the Internet’s insurgent, user-oriented spirit" more than any other national politician, Beato argues. She's now free to capitalize on her appeal—and on ordinary Americans' desire for a Drudge-like upstart to transform politics—instead of being stuck governing Alaska for another 18 months, he adds. Pundits like Maureen Dowd may not get why Palin's resignation was such a stroke of genius, Beato writes, "but surely Paris Hilton understands." (More internet stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X