I don't watch Dancing with the Stars, except incidentally if one of my girls has it on. So, unlike something like America's Got Talent (we salute you, Prince Poppycock!), I don't really have a dog in the race. But I am trying to get a better sense of what Americans like, and Americans like DWTS. They care who wins. It's a truism that American citizens care more about sports and entertainment than politics. And something is happening this year that means that DWTS has a chance to become a memorable object lesson in the Republican predilection for choosing political gain over good policy.
Namely: Bristol Palin is competing on Dancing with the Stars this year. She is evidently clearly inferior to the other contestants, but Sarah Palin fans keep on voting her in not because of her greater talent but as a tribute to her grifter Mom. Evidently, they're making a political point.
Great -- I wish them luck. Then, in 2012 and beyond, we'll be able to use the example of "voting for Bristol Palin in DWTS" as a prime example of the Republican mindset of rejecting anything -- science, facts, good policy -- in favor of tribalism and throwing around their weight, while the majority sleeps.
This diary was inspired by an article from the Hollywood Reporter: Why Bristol Palin Is Still on 'Dancing With the Stars'
Dancing with the Stars, we're told, is ranked #9 among shows watched by Republicans. While Democrats watch it as well, it's not among the Top 15. Tomorrow is its penultimate episode for the season, in which Bristol Palin competes with singer Brandy, Dirty Dancing actress Jennifer Grey, and rapper Kyle Massey. Bristol Palin's supporters have been using social media to get out the vote for her. While Jennifer Grey has consistently been rated higher than Palin by the show's judges (with good reason, based on the one show I saw), Palin receives far more Yahoo searches. As the article puts it:
She doesn't get the highest scores. She's not the biggest celebrity. Yet she's in the top four on the hit ABC show. Do politics play a role in Bristol Palin’s endurance on this season of Dancing with the Stars? You betcha.
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Conservative radio host Tammy Bruce has led a Twitter campaign to get fans to vote for “Team Ballin” as Palin and her partner Mark Ballas are known. On Monday, Bruce tweeted: “Operation Bristol waltzes in tonight! As #DWTS starts vote at abc.go.com Tweeps pls tweet phone info, will RT.” Bruce only has a little over 14,000 followers, but the ripple effect on Twitter is well-established.
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Palin told USA Today that "it’s crazy" how fare she’s advanced on the show. Dancing with the Stars executive producer Conrad Green admitted to Bloomberg that Sarah Palin’s popularity could certainly be helping to fuel her daughter’s success. "There’s a strong popular movement behind Sarah Palin at the moment," said Green. "It’s entirely possible some of those people are behind Bristol for political reasons."
Added Chan Lowe of the Orlando Sentinel: "She has to be among one of the worst dancers they have had. I mean, she tries, yes, but Ginger Rogers she ain't. In previous seasons she would have been the first or second person eliminated, with good reason. She can't dance. And now she is in the final four of one of the most popular shows going? There is one reason, and one reason only: The tea party."
I say: "Go, Bristol!" By all means, let the Republicans conspire to fix this meaningless election. I feel sorry for truly talented contestants like Brandy and Jennifer Grey, but if the Republicans are going to turn them into collateral damage (in an attention-getting but intrinsically meaningless contest) we might as well get out of the way. If Bristol Palin wins, while the judges gag at her weak performances, then finally, we'll be able to explain politics to the apolitical using concepts that they can understand!
Getting voters to understand the corruption of the political system -- by which I mean manipulation rather than simply illegality -- is surprisingly difficult. DKos readers would be surprised to learn how few people even understand the political terms "liberal" and "conservative" and can assign them (at least in relative terms) to the two parties. So when an example of how fanaticism can outweigh merit falls into our lap -- hey, this is a metaphor we should use for years!
"Bristol Palin should have lost," we'll say, "but because a bunch of fanatics turned their people out to the polls, she was able to win. Does that seem fair? Does that seem right? Shouldn't merit matter more?"
ABC is getting its just reward for putting Bristol Palin among its more qualified contestants. And, unlike Tom DeLay, who was featured in its previous season (but whom it was impossible to get people to support), she has a chance of being their unworthy winner -- just as her Mom could end up doing in 2012, thanks to the same combination of social media and relatively few fanatics outpolling the many apathetic.
Go ahead, Republicans -- give us this beautiful metaphor for what's wrong with Tea Party politics! (Meanwhile, I hope that Brandy and Jennifer Grey get an invitation to the White House, where they can show how merit ought to win the day. Let Obama dance one song with each of them and the point will be made.)
Update: If you enjoyed this diary you may also enjoy:
Water News, by Patric Juillet
NY Times interactive graphic lets you fix the deficit by New Deal democrat
Confederate flag 'a symbol of Jesus Christ.', by Clytemestra
"Too bad we can't afford to treat your leukemia", by david78209
Psychologist who developed CIA techniques might lose license (UPDATED) by Christian Dem in NC
... and others currently on the Rec List that are Jennifer Greys to this diary's Bristol Palin Florence Henderson.
Update 2: On second thought, you should recommend "Too bad we can't afford to treat your leukemia" twice.
Update 3: If anyone's still reading, this comment makes its point very well. And do check out the many nice videos that have been embedded by commenters!