Gold Diggers

Mitt Romney is a classic case of a wealthy wannabe contender who's used the considerable funds at his disposal to buy name recognition. But what [Sarah] Palin and [Donald] Trump have figured out is that high profiles can generate money rather than the reverse. Of course, it's nothing new for politicians to cash in on their reputations after leaving office; hefty book advances and cushy jobs as consultants are pretty standard. But not many politicians have the celebrity -- or the audacity -- to use their political career as an extremely lucrative piece of performance art.
~ from Sarah Palin and Profit-Motive Politics by Alyssa Battistoni ~

Can you remember a time in American history when there was one or more farce campaigns for president that didn't involve someone with overly grand self-delusions (e.g., Herman Cain) or a comedic component (e.g., Pat Paulsen)? There have always been candidates who, though they have no shot of winning a nomination, run on principle or to advance a particular perspective (e.g., Dennis Kucinich), but I can't remember a time when we have had so many toy with announcing a bona fide run when all they truly hope to accomplish is to drive up their TV ratings and increase their own personal income.

I think that too many in our society have become victims of Reality TV Syndrome. The chief symptom of this condition is the attempt to manufacture reality according to a prepared storyline and then trying to convince others that there is no storyline and everything happens spontaneously. All this is done to exaggerate the scenes and characters to boost the popularity and revenue of the producers of each particular story.

The Donald and Sarah are prime examples. I'm betting that both of them are laughing all the way to the bank.