Remember back on November 5, when I wrote about my idea for a reality TV show?  While my idea has yet to take off, another all-new kind of reality show is already up and running, one much more likely to have at least a mild-to-moderate impact on American politics and culture.

Imagine if Richard Nixon had had a reality show of his own in 1968.  Or how about Bill and Hillary Clinton in 1992?  Either of these could have been quite insightful, if not amusing.  Politics, and the ways in which politicians present themselves, have drastically evolved throughout recent decades.  Now going into 2011, reality TV is a clever and perhaps powerful tool for politicians and other public officials to own, in ways that neither Dick nor Bill could have imagined in their time.

Politics and reality television have merged via Sarah Palin.  Like her or despise her, support her for president (should she run) or wish her to get eaten by a caribou before she shoots it, you have to admit Sarah Palin is one of a kind.  She has come into national fame and seems to incite reaction from just about everyone, for or against her.  It appears she’s continuing to walk a distinct path, while blazing her own trails and remaining in a category mostly her own.  Perhaps this explains some of her allure.

Reality TV will show her to us like no sit-down, scripted broadcast interview will.  I believe she is NOT qualified to be president, nor could she come any closer to being that she already did two years ago.  Nonetheless, she’s on TV, serving up a new brand of “political reality.”   She’s quite a character, that’s for sure.  And agree with them or not, I like characters.

And that’s my opinion.