Paul Waldman makes the case that the era of breathless coverage of Sarah Palin is over:
Palin’s game is one you can only play for so long. Once it becomes clear you aren’t actually running, people lose interest. About eight months from now, there will be a Republican nominee for president. Suddenly, there will be a Republican politician who is infinitely more important than her. So Palin may try to pop up again during the campaign, but her ability to get attention will be severely curtailed.
In fact, I’ll go so far as to predict that this issue of Newsweek is the last time she’ll appear on the cover of a news magazine. Ever. The “Gosh, what’s Sarah Palin gonna do?!?” period has come to its end. She’ll probably try to produce the same media interest four years from now, but it won’t be nearly as successful. There are only so many times you can write that story.
It’s been a crazy and often fascinating ride, but Palin really has little more to offer as a politician or cultural figure. What’s she going to do next – say something ignorant? Complain about liberals? Provide some unseemly family drama? We’ve seen it all before, and it gets less interesting every time. Unless she goes on trial for murder, most Americans just aren’t going to care.
I think he’s right. We hear about Palin less and less. Palin will continue to make her millions on the wingnut welfare circuit but her looks will fade. Meanwhile, a new wingnut sweetheart has risen and she is taking Palin’s media.