Sarah Palin Could be the Next Oprah if She Does it Right
By Chris Gacek
The news came yesterday that Sarah Palin has agreed to become a commentator on the Fox News Channel. I agree with Andrew Breitbart (“Big Hollywood”) that Sarah Palin could become a cultural force via TV on a par with Oprah Winfrey. Palin just connects with large numbers of people in a way that very few people do.
Palin could become the sower of the seeds of a conservative counter-cultural revolution if she proceeds wisely. That said, there are dangers for Palin. Jennifer Harper’s column for today’s “Inside the Beltway” (Washington Times, 1/12/2010) quoted John Tantillo, a New York marketer who invented the title “The O’Reilly Factor” for Fox News. Tantillo made the critical observation yesterday that the Fox-Palin partnership is brilliant while noting, “….the most important thing is for the network to let Sarah be Sarah. She is a natural brand that people recognize and like instantly. They should just let her be herself.”
He continued, “It would be very unwise if Sarah Palin went too New York or too Hollywood or too Washington in her new role. She’s got to avoid that. The reason people like her is that they can relate to her. She doesn’t need a lot of flashy stuff.” And, if she starts to get “too fancy” – her audience is “going to think she’s become one of ‘them.’ You know. The ‘media.’”
Tantillo is exactly correct. The question is where can Palin eventually produce high-quality programming in which she will not be undermined, either deliberately or unintentionally, by her producers and executives. I can recall the disastrous run that talk-show host Dr. Laura had when she went to TV. Working in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Washington would be disastrous for Palin.
After thinking about this for a while, I have concluded that Palin has to base her operations in Nashville. Nashville contains a community of the highest quality musicians, producers, and technicians. Consequently, producing high-quality television there would be no problem.
More important than the technical capabilities available in Nashville is the nature of the artistic community that lives there. I have been told that something like 10% of Nashville’s music industry is focused on Christian contemporary and traditional gospel recording. That is where I think Palin could find a large number of sympathetic executives, producers, and technicians who could produce her shows while remaining loyal to her and her evangelical, conservative values and vision. I don’t think a similar community exists in either Hollywood or New York.
In an age of jet travel, there’s no reason Palin couldn’t still spend much of her time in Alaska, but her natural “base” nationally is in the South. And, if that isn’t enough – Tennessee doesn’t have an income tax.
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missed a good ratings opportunity.
Liberals are soooo afraid of Palin they just can't let her alone. She stands for something, and liberals stand for nothing.
I guess the liberals can replace Oprah with there highly educated spokesperson Joy Behar.
Keep shaking libs the elections are coming!
that you slipped, conservatives stand 'against' everything while liberals stand for things ...usually people.
BTW, Joy Behar is actually well educated, she herself is an English teacher.
We are shaking .....with laughter....as the mid terms approach.
Nero played the violin as Rome burned, you choose to laugh as our economy tanks. The conservatives have plenty of ideas, it is just Harry, Nancy & Huessin cannot hear through that locked door.
If you believe that putting people in the bondage of entitlment prgrams is standing for people you have not spent much time in the projects. And thanks for making my point on Behar, our public schools are horrid, because of idealogues so busy pushing their agendas instead of teaching school, that many of our kids cannot speak proper English.
read Republican Gomorrah by Max Blomenthal.
It's an eye opener.
The Family Research Council is the "marketing" arm of Focus on the Family & James Dobson.
Is it any wonder they LOVE Palin?
Only the Fundies think this woman has any future; they themselves having grossly inflated egos and being legends in their own minds. They are a minority of 30some million out of 350+ million US citizens.
However, they are very vocal, and need to be seen as the serious threat they are to the separation of church and state , and to the civil liberties of all Americans .
Please someone tell me this isn't real!Gag,puke.If her brand of politics appeals to a majority of people in this country,then we are all in some really deep shit.Talk about dumbing down America.
Let the Republicans build their 'counter-revolution' on someone who is unelectable.
PLEASE 'let Sarah be Sarah'! Should be fun.
The Sarah Palin, that was plucked from thin air which I think her head is full of already proved she couldn't give an interview let alone do an interview show on a daily bases.
Any person that would walk away as Governor and desert the people of Alaska that elected her should be remembered as a deserter and be ridiculed for it not praised. Quit bring her name up in the new's and she will disappear from our mind's altogether. I hope she does run for President so she can make a bigger foul out of herself than she already has.
The Sarah Palin Show with Cloris Leachman as her sidekick and Little Richard and his orchestra as musical cohost.
And Sarah as a replacement for Oprah???????
Oprah has more class in her little toe than Sarah will ever accumulate.
Lastly, as a Tennessee resident, please keep her somewhere else, we get enough attention for the hillbillies that are natural to the area.