Sarah Palin: America's Next Top Vice-President?

Has something gone horribly wrong with the space-time continuum? Maybe Ashton Kutcher will appear soon to tell us all we've been punked. How did this happen? How did Sarah Palin go from an unknown Governor of the Igloo state to a Republican party Vice-Presidential candidate with 90% name recognition faster than Donald Trump could utter, "you're fired" to an Apprentice wannabe? Reality TV - that's how.

Americans must be in a collective stupor from watching American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, The Apprentice, America's Next Top Model, The Bachelor and other reality television. The mass hypnosis induced by the constant presence of "reality" seems the only viable explanation for the normally cynical public's buying into the notion that Sarah Palin is even remotely ready for the responsibilities of the second highest office in the land. It's almost like an Invasion of the Body Snatchers collective consciousness has been formed - only one of non-questioning blind stupidity. Either that or we have developed the sense of ennui that only eight years of "W" could induce and no longer care.

Even the press seems along for this joy ride. Where is the discussion of the serious issues? We are so caught up in Ms. Palin's 17-year olds' pregnancy that we are not talking about the economy, the war, the environment - you know - the issues. There are even some who wonder if Ms. Palin's newborn is actually her daughter's baby that Ms. Palin pretended to have as a reputation save. If that sounds familiar it's because Bree did it on Desperate Housewives last season. Politics has become tabloid fodder. And while that certainly makes it less boring, given the dire state of our country, now is not the time.

Used to be, one had to have actual talent to be on television. One had to have appropriate credentials and at least some clue about the world and the issues (present President excepted it seems) to have a chance at being part of a major political ticket. Now, anyone can be famous or run for office. Remember when it was a far-fetched notion that an actor could become President?

Charlie Gibson tried to break the spell and slap some sense back into the viewing public when he interviewed Ms. Palin on September 11th in her first unscripted interview. I'm not alone in noticing that it seemed pretty scripted for unscripted, thus it fit right in with other reality television shows. When Ms. Palin didn't know what the Bush doctrine was, and helpfully let us know that she has insight into Russia because she can see the land from her home state, and repeatedly talked about not blinking as though running the country were a matter of winning a staring contest, where was the collective gasp from the nation? These major gaffs were treated as though she had simply missed a question on a TV game show. No matter your political leanings, it's a given that Hillary does have experience and is eminently qualified to lead, even if one doesn't like how she would do it. How must she feel as she is stuck on the sidelines while this mooseburger-cooking, fable-spinning, Rapture Republican hockey mom stumbles onto the American political stage to standing ovations? Hillary must be wondering how she got stuck in a badly written episode of The Twilight Zone.

Since so much of what we view on television is "real" rather than pure entertainment, complete with audience voting on some shows, far-fetched isn't as far as it once was. It's no surprise that we have been lulled into this surreal scenario. We can no longer distinguish the truth from the alternate reality that reality television presents. But rather than winning a $100,000 modeling contract at the end of 12 weeks, Sarah Palin may just win the nuclear launch codes at the end of 10 weeks.

It just makes me want to scream out a window, "Hey, this isn't a cartoon where Wylie Coyote can fall off a cliff only to rise up unhurt - it's real life, with real consequences - snap out of it people!" Let's take a hint from reality TV and vote Palin and McCain off the island come November 4th.