Bristol Palin reality TV show: What it means for a Sarah Palin 2012 presidential run.

Bristol Palin reality TV show: What it means for a Sarah Palin 2012 presidential run.

Bristol Palin reality TV show: What it means for a Sarah Palin 2012 presidential run.

From Wasilla to Washington.
May 10 2011 12:52 PM

Reality Bites

Does Bristol Palin's TV show take a nibble out of the chances her mom will run for president?

The sun never sets on the Palin reality TV empire: Yesterday brought news that Bristol Palin will star in a 10-episode series on BIO (formerly the Biography Channel) following America's "most famous single mother" after her move from Alaska to Los Angeles. What does her eldest daughter's turn under the Boswellian cameras mean for Sarah Palin?

According to Vanity Fair's Juli Weiner, if we consider the Trumps as a cautionary tale (the only terms under which they ought to be considered, some might say), this could be a sign that Palin's not going to run. Donald Trump might be asked to step down from The Apprentice in the event of a run, since other candidates could ask NBC Entertainment for equal airtime. His kids, though, who also appear as Apprentice judges, could still be on the show. According to the New York Times, which reported out the potential Trump problem, even that solution would leave the window open for other candidates to demand similar free exposure for their families under the "equal-time rule"—a headache-and-a-half for the network. As Weiner points out, BIO doesn't seem worried about giving airtime to other potential presidential candidates' families alongside the Palins. 

Meanwhile, as Palin waits on the sidelines, the official GOP field is slowly filling up, with Newt Gingrich set to announce officially on Wednesday. (The burlesque leading up to his reveal has been about as subtle as Elizabeth Berkley's turn in Showgirls, but still, any official entrance serves as a reminder that Palin doesn't seem anywhere close to making one.) The Palin Meter sinks all the way back to 39 percent.

Previous Palin Meter Readings

Thursday, May 5, 2011: 46 percent

Thursday, April 28, 2011: 44 percent

Monday, April 18, 2011:
44 percent

Thursday, April 14, 2011: 39 percent

Tuesday, April 5, 2011: 43 percent

Monday, March 28, 2011: 49 percent

Wednesday, March 23, 2011:
53 percent

Friday, March 18, 2011: 55 percent

Wednesday, March 16, 2011:
55 percent

Thursday, March 10, 2011: 48 percent

Tuesday, March 8, 2011:
35 percent

Monday, March 7, 2011:
40 percent

Friday, March 3, 2011:
45 percent

Tuesday, March 1, 2011:
51 percent

Noreen Malone is a senior editor at New York Magazine.