Since Sarah Palin stepped down as Alaska’s governor, she has been on what many have called ‘the gravy train.’ Palin’s possible resignation from office to pursue a grassroots presidential election spot in 2012 is not the topic of debate these days. 

The true story surrounding Palin is the amount of money she has earned since leaving office in 2009. From books to speeches, Palin is making a hundred times the amount she was making as governor. Her past salary of $125,000 a year is nothing compared with the estimated $12 million she has raked in thus far. 

Palin’s first book, ‘Going Rogue: An American Life,’ has landed her a reputed amount of $7 million, and each speech she has given is estimated to be around $100,000, with $18,000 to cover the private jets that scoot her around town. 

Now, there is nothing wrong with making a quick buck for speaking or writing a book. But there is a problem with capitalizing on fame that truly started from ignorance and an infamously failed interview with Katie Couric. Palin seems to be using her knack for entertainment and low intelligence to parade around the country as if she were a former politician who actually did something commendable on a national level.

Although many can list her accomplishments, such as being John McCain’s running mate and passing numerous bills while in Alaskan office, it is wrong for her to garner wealth on matters that are now irrelevant to her Paris Hilton-like conduct and phraseology. Palin belongs on MTV, not CNN or MSNBC. I wish I could say the same for Fox News, but that’s a completely different column. 

It seems like parts of the American public idolizes idiocy. We are living in a reality television society where one’s ignorance and numerous blunders are being accepted and rewarded more each day. This pop culture style of consumerism, which Palin is using to build her popularity, has gone on far too long. The only difference between Paris Hilton and Sarah Palin is that Hilton is smart enough to know she is being paid to be vapid.

If you were to ask any political science professor at Syracuse University what they thought of Palin, their facial expressions are the first thing to look for and laugh at. Opinions can very well be wrong, but when countless scholars think of a former politician as a joke rather than a serious policy architect, there is no need to delve deeper into any real future plans concerning the individual. 

Many are saying that Palin is going to run for office again, but with her continuous appearances with the questionable Tea Party, her ‘hate’ speeches on how the government is evil and her frivolous antics on television, she knows as well as most of America that her days are numbered. 

I would hate to be the one to tell her to stop cashing in on her 15 minutes of fame, but she has to pay for her jet and interviews just wouldn’t be the same. 

John Sumpter is a junior international relations and Middle Eastern studies major. His column appears weekly, and he can be reached at jfsumpte@syr.edu.

Published on April 28, 2010 at 12:00 pm