Noonan: Mischievous Media Wants to Make Palin Face of GOP

By Mark Finkelstein | November 26, 2008 | 09:51

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Why does Sarah Palin continue to receive so much media coverage? Peggy Noonan has a theory. The Wall Street Journal columnist believes the MSM is up to what she considers "mischief": attempting to make Sarah Palin the face of the Republican party.

Noonan propounded her premise during an appearance today on Morning Joe.

PEGGY NOONAN: Look, I think the headline with Mrs. Palin, let me throw out this idea: she will never not be with us, she will be covered regularly between now and 2012. There are a number of reasons for this. She is an interesting personality; her story was one that helped to fill the essence of the 2008 campaign.

But also, I happen to think the media is up to a bit of mischief here. I think the media wants to take Sarah Palin and make her, subliminally, the face of the Republican party. They want to make her: this is what Republicans are, the face of the party, the leader of the party, because it amuses them to do that.

WILLIE GEIST: Isn't that due in part that there's not really another compelling face at the moment to make [the face] of the Republican party?

NOONAN: Well, at the moment, she is at the moment, there are still emanations and tendrils of her fabulous celebrity in 2008, and so of course that's going on. But I still think the media is playing a little game there.

There are, of course, many Republicans who would be pleased to have Sarah Palin as the face of the party. But given Noonan's less-than-flattering candid comments about Palin, it's clear the former Reagan speechwriter believes the MSM is doing the GOP no favors by making the former VP candidate its nominal leader.

Note: Some evidence in support of Noonan's theory comes from Keith Olbermann. In this video at Olbermann Watch, the Countdown host tells Martha Stewart "I'm donating as much money as I can to her campaign, just to keep her in my newscast every night." Bonus: Olbermann Watch catches Keith in an apparent fib as to when he saw the video of Palin's pardon of the Thanksgiving turkey.