If you go out into the middle of nowhere (like say, Wasilla, Alaska) and drag a family of hillbillies out of the northwoods and throw a spotlight on them, chances are they’re going to love it, and when you try to take it away from them, there will be no end to which they will debase themselves to keep it.
galileogirl is right about the religious right who will try to force her down our throats in 2012 even if it means fracturing the party, but you kind of had that in 2008. Remember the Republican run up in the primaries? Sure McCain locked it pretty quick compared to Obama, BUT McCain was appealing to the more centrist part of the party, Romney was after the true fiscal conservatives, and Huckabee was after the religious right and each of them was winning in different places. Chances are, Palin will end up where Huckabee was if she tries to run in 2012.
But that’s not her only path, she might well get out of politics and host her own talk show, and when that fails there’s always Dancing with the Stars, and of course the downward spiral from there would be the Surreal Life, possibly Celebrity Boxing if Fox were to bring that gem back, and then whatever incarnation of Hollywood Squares they might be able to find. Stay on the D List long enough, and you’ll be able to mount a comeback, maybe the Palin clan will get their own variety show…then when that fails and we think we’re rid of them, but then little Moosejaw Pinehaven Palin Johnston (or whatever Bristol names her offspring) will probably get his/her own show on the Disney Channel, they’ll let him/her record albums which will sell a bazillion copies to every 7 to 15 year old girl in the country. The only real question is which Palin daughter eventually ends up with a sex tape on the internet.
We have to live with Paris Hilton, trust me, we’re stuck with Sarah Palin as well.