Sarah Palin vs. Levi Johnston, the sequel: Can too much exposure ruin a potential presidential candidate?

 
The timing had to be awkward.

Just as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was wowing crowds in a book tour for "Going Rogue," her one-time almost son-in-law Levi Johnston -- the father of her grandson, Tripp -- celebrated a publication of his own -- full-length photos in the nude for Playgirl Magazine.

Palin, who does not mention Johnston in her book, told Oprah that she considers his poses porn.

"By the way, I don't know if we call him Levi -- I hear he goes by the name Ricky Hollywood now, so, if that's the case, we don't want to mess up this gig he's got going," she said. "Kind of this aspiring, aspiring porn -- the things that he's doing. It's kind of heartbreaking."

As for Johnston's relationship with his son, Palin said: "He hasn't seen the baby for a while, but we will let that be the discussion between Bristol and Levi, as they work out their relationship. Because Levi will forever be the father of this beautiful little baby, and I continue to hope for the best, and pray for Levi."

Asked if he would be invited to Thanksgiving, Palin said, "He is part of the family...This can all work out for good."

Johnston has already generated some political heat by saying, in an interview with Vanity Fair, that Palin found her job as governor "too hard" and that she offered to adopt Tripp to hide the teen pregnancy.

The Playgirl shoots provide further evidence that even as Palin's national profile rises, Johnston's not going away anytime soon. As The Times' Meghan Daum put it the other day, "He's hot, he's cute, he's playing hardball."

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: Levi Johnston, photo credit: Getty Images

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Comments

[Two Peas in a Pod]

Levi is doing the very same thing Sarah is doing. He is prostituting his new found fame.

[YO]

Sarah Palin, too much exposure? no. Overexposure didn't hurt Barack Obama. He's still on tv too much, and still campaigning everywhere. If we must tolerate Obama, we should give Palin a break.

[Chet]

Levi Johnston should grow up, stop trying to get attention by degrading Sarah Palin in public. He needs to respect her as the grandmother of his son, and thank her. Without his connections to Palin and her family, he would be another unknown stick in the mud.

[glich]

If Levi Johnston was saying good things about Sarah Palin, we would never have heard them or seen him on talk shows. And even he is smart enough to know that. So he'll continue to say bad things about her - whether true of not. It really is pathetic on the part of the media who just want to keep bashing Sarah Palin.

[Mary]

He's not cute, or hot, he's being used by the liberal main stream media as a thorn in Palin's side. Period. User being used. Very aprapos.

[steve rodriguez]

Hey Obama I wish you'd put as much effort into finding Americans jobs , as you put into Obama Care!

[steve rodriguez]

Levi Johnson will be the next Barrack Obama for the Left,
geez they have about the same amount of experience!

Barrack = no accomplishments
Levi = no accomplishments

[NickAtNight]

Poor little liberals. That's all ya got ?!?

[Mark]

I have more respect for Levi than I do for Sarah - that's for sure.

[Juan Meden]

Class vs. trash. No contest.

Sarah will continue to be a nationally prominent politician while once the DNC is done pimping Johnston they'll kick him to the curb. Poor kid, he's got no future.

[Melaine Samson]

Sarah is such a sad joke. I hope she stays the face of the Party of No for a while. Guarantees a Dem majority for years to come.

[Fire and Ice]

This country will be a better place once the interest and fascination with an relatively ignorant, third rate, folksy former governor of Alaska that quite in the middle of her term because she could handle the pressure of facing a continual barrage of ethics violations charges. At the same time we can also stand to hear and see less of the putrid lowlife that goes by the name of Levi Johnston.

Many of us are not happy with the Obama administration. However, that does not mean we're going to flock to this has been governor and former beauty queen to challenge the president. The opposition and the de facto leadership need to get serious about how to run this country and this focus on these buffoons is best left for our interest in B-movie Hollywood has beens.

I look forward to the day when Obama, Glenn Beck, Limbaugh, Palin, Johnston, Oprah, Pelosi, Reid, and the Tea Bagger crazies are all placed in the dustbin of American history where they deserve to be placed. America is in dire need for a return to normalcy and excellence and this theocratic creationist crackpot Sarah Palin will only lead to the further decline of America.

[matthew]

The tea baggers made a big stink when President Obama spoke to school children calling it a waste of tax dollars. Now we spend tax dollars to permit a crazy celebrity speak at a government military site and the same crazy folks have no complaint.

[Alecu]

Sarah is right to keep Levi away from her loving ones. Tripp will need a true role model in his life and so far Levi isn't acting properly. Sarah Palin has shown what's good for her, her family and how to live healthy.

[joe blow]

palin's book is vindictiveness at its finest -- blaming others for her own shortcomings. interestingly, levi is barely mentioned. according to him, he has information about sarah that wouldn't befit a presidential candidate. could it be that both infants were born to bristol? stay tuned. loving it all.

[Bill]

No frontal nudity? WIMP! Now that said, he played safe by not showing the full monty, maybe his equipment falls short and, it is nothing to brag about.

[It's a game]

These two are in it together. As long as Sarah gets free press, Levi will always be welcome at her home. They need to get together with the Balloon Boy parents and concoct some new scheme for staying in the news. Palin is like a snake that sheds its skin when it becomes uncomfortable (think former, instead of current, governor of Alaska). She's just another "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrite. Levi is just another inexperienced buffoon caught up in celebrity. Please do us all a favor and stop the insanity. This is not news, it's a side show.

[JM]

I have absolutely no use for Palin, but you have to take everything Levi says about her with a BIG grain of salt. What is next for him? A book.

[steve rodriguez]

People are starting to realize that she is smarter, more experienced, and better qualified than Barrack Obama!