Sarah Palin picked as Time's runner-up Person of the Year

Completely ignoring Al Gore because he'd already won the world's other top two prizes -- the Nobel and Oscar -- and pretty well rested on his warming climate laurels this year, Time magazine has chosen Alaska's Republican Gov. Sarah Palin as a runner-up Person of the Year.

Along with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson.

Also Zhang Yimou.

The immense individual honors were created by the aging weekly magazine many years ago to help sell copies in a normally very slow year-end period for news and sales.

At one point in history this issue actually made news and people talked about it, if there wasn't much else going on.

But being in Time's year-end edition can also be a dangerous distinction. Many of Time's past Persons of the Year have died after receiving the honor, for instance, Adolph Hitler and Josef Stalin. Also President Eisenhower.

Sarkozy was obviously chosen a runner-up because of his wife's beauty and his ability to get french fries back on the menu in Congress.

Paulson was chosen for reasons that have something to do with the financial mess and still being unable to identify the mortgages of dubious value but being incapable of doing that in a very quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of way that didn't cause complete market panic because no one really understands the numbers stuff anyway.

Also in recognition of Paulson's work, President-elect Barack Obama has decided to replace him with another numbers gnome.

Zhang Yimou's runnerup award really needs no explanation. His amazing accomplishments pretty much speak for themselves. So we won't.

Palin was picked because she almost singlehandedly saved the Republican Party from total annihilation as its surprising vice presidential candidate.

Her GOP selection by the old Arizona guy annoyed the nation's news media because it wasn't ready and thinks Washington is a qualifying experience for the White House now that Bill Clinton and the new guy have some.

So reporters wrote a lot about Palin's children and a future son-in-law and her baby with Down syndrome and jumped all over her effort to help salvage the 2008 women's clothing sales, as if that was a bad thing for the struggling economy.

Time calls hers "the most astonishing political debut in modern times" and says the 44-year-old mother of five who upset a corrupt GOP party establishment in a place many people don't ever want to visit "a one-woman rescue team for the Republican ticket."

Which, some of you may have heard, lost anyway.

In fact, Sarah Palin's Republican National Convention speech before a record TV audience electrified the party at a somnolent time of late summer.

Time, like all print, online and broadcast media, knows the magnetic draw of merely mentioning Sarah Palin's name among fans and foes. Putting Sarah Palin's name in a headline and adding Sarah Palin photographs draws thousands of people, even if they haven't a clue about her politics. Sarah Palin is simply great for the media business. The more photos the better too.

"Saturday Night Live" had its best ratings in 14 years the night it had the real Sarah Palin on. By golly, she just has a presence.

Time says it'll be interesting to see what happens to Sarah Palin's political evolution now and whether she emerges with a viable conservative philosophy beyond a beguiling but fiscally responsible wink.

Although many prominent Republicans campaigned for Saxby Chambliss in the recent Georgia Senate runoff election, it wasn't until Sarah Palin spent a day there that Chambliss actually won easily over a Democrat endorsed by Obama and Gore.

At the same time as it announced its Person of the Year runners-up, Time also revealed its winner, the same guy Ebony already picked.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Don't miss other important breaking news like this. Register here for cellphone alerts on each new Ticket item. RSS feeds are also available here. And we're on Amazon's Kindle too.

Photo credits, from top: Joseph Kaczmarek / Associated Press; WireImage; Associated Press; Joe Burbank; Getty Images; Office of the Governor of Alaska.

Comments

[Susan]

It is almost totally obnoxious to have Sarah Palin and Hank Paulson in the same sentence as "People of the Year" to be recognized.

[Peter]

You've got to be kidding! Sarah Palin is probably the biggest "puppet" to ever "dis"-grace the national stage. Whate a joke!

[katie]

Of Course Sarah was Time's runner up for Person of the year! She captivated America! She is just what we need, someone who makes Washington scared! Come on Sarah lets shake things up!! Every day I look at my Sarah Palin calendar and I am inspired to fight! She will make it to the White House! (the calendar by the way, is on amazon, and is GORGEOUS!! it also makes a great gift!!) SARAH PALIN 2012!!

[Judy Chicago]

Do people still buy this magazine?

[Bruce Hartman]

Absolutely disgusting. There are so many women who are more worthy. At a time when we need to have Sara disappear, Time has propped her up and filled her brain with more mush that she qualifies for President. When will it end.

[andre miller]

What is the criteria for her selection? Your article mentions how many times she was photgraphed and erronously credits her showing up in GA causing Chamblis to win. He was winning and was going to win anyway. There are thousands of families who raise kids with special needs and have far less means and or support than she does. Since when did having a teenage daugther get pregnant warrant applause? When that happens in the minority households the parents are critized and said to have raised kids with no morals. Now we applaud it? If being photographed every other day is the criteria than why didn't Brittany Spear, OJ or Lindsay Lohan win?

[Sally]

I totally love her and wish her the best in everything she does. Would we had MORE like her.

[tony s.]

If Time actually picked Sarah as the person of the year, I would have restarted my subscription. However, I must agree with this writer that Time is only using Sarah Palin to sell copies so I'll leave my subscription cancelled.

[Talleyrand]

Great for Alaska, perhaps, lousy for the rest of the planet. Please, Sarah, don't run in 2012, for the sake of the Republican party

[bob]

Chambliss was going to win regardless of who campaigned for him. To claim that Palin put him over the top in Georgia is simply foolhardy.

[Trannny]

After the Obamination does the nation, Palin will be ready.

Palin '12
Change you'll be begging for

[andre miller]

What was the criteria for this award? Being a Governor? Arnold is a Governor in a state with a lot more going on and many more accomplishments than she can claim. By the way where are these supposed accomplishments documented? Having a child with special needs aflicts many parents who have much less means to sustain themselves and a lot less support around them. Having a daughter get pregnant out of wedlock was always a negative thing when it occured in a minority household, but now we should somehow applaud it? I think we can fiind a lot better qualified Runner-up. Having a thousand pictures taken of you should not be the critera, if so take Brittany Spears, Lindsey Lohan or Madonna.

[Fran]

Sarah Palin is a symbol of hate and fear.

She's the devil's person of the year!

[a nuffer]

I quit reading Time when they put the war criminal on the front cover, you know, Bush??? I use it to line my puppy's cage so he can take a healthy poop on the pages! To name Paulson and Palin, the criminal and the white trash, as runner up's is ludicrous!!! But then I guess it is appropriate to name these people because they have the credentials to be a member of the Republican Party.

[Ben Padilla]

Pailn like Bush is stupid and ignorant because they're conservatives. Palin decided to have a retarded baby and she says that she can see Russia from her house. That automatically disqualifies her from holding any office. All conservatives, especially those that are religious are stupid.

[steve rodriguez]

Sarah Palin proved that love overcomes hate!!!!!!

[James Fischer]

Palin for President 2012! I can't wait. This dynamic individual is one to watch. Wishing her great success!

[Jill]

Saxby Chambliss had 4 point lead the day before Palin appear, the day after he won by 15. Sarah Palin did not have 24 months of campaigning to perfect her talking points. And she certainly did not have the love of Big Media, which acted more like Obama propaganda machines vice objective reporters. Less than a month preparation for the debate and she give Biden all he could handle. She has a very strong political instinct. She is currently the only reason why people would attend a rally or fundraiser for a Republican. Palin is a fundraising goldmine and if she decides to run money will not be a problem. The only think that saved Obama was the finanical crisis and some help from John McCain. But I think you know that. Count your blessing she is the Governor of Aaska.

[Tom]

No doubt about it. After Obama, Palin is easily the 2008 runner up. Love her or hate her, she is a star.

Beauty, guts, charisma, grace. If interested in a national run, she'll need to put together her views, mesh with the RNC, and study up hard on national issues. However, there just might not be enough time to put it all together by 2012. I hope she does since without her, it will just be too boring of an election.

[Bubyubb]

I love how Sarah brings the froth out of people.

[Judi Mills]

*sigh* only in America...

[steve rodriguez]

Sarah Palin and her family are great!
They are truly American royalty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!