Maybe there's hope for America yet. After weeks of speculation, conjecture, conspiracy and all-out panic, the blue portion of the nation breathed a big sigh of relief last night when Bristol Palin lost Dancing with the Stars. Next stop, the White House, amirite?! Oh, wait: Barack Obama is still president, Dancing with the Stars is just a television show, and liberal bête noire Sarah Palin wasn't even competing. So, why was everyone so outraged at the idea of a 20-year-old girl winning?
Maybe because she's just like her mother, in the best and worst ways possible. Like Mama Grizzly, Bristol had determination about her that probably did endear her to some non-Tea Party members of the viewing audience. She wasn't a good dancer, she didn't even look interested in being on the show, but gosh; she was plucky and resourceful!
But then there's the other side to Bristol -- the side that appeared last night on Dancing with the Stars, and the side that was eerily reminiscent of a certain former Alaskan governor. She's entitled, arrogant and obscenely self-serving. "Going out there and winning this would mean a lot," Bristol told the Dancing with the Stars audience during a clip package on the finale. "It would be like a big middle finger to all the people out there that hate my mom and hate me."
Graciousness shouldn't have a political party, but apparently for the Palins it does. They don't just want to defeat you; they want to crush anyone who opposes them, even in the most stake-free venues. Like Dancing with the Stars. Or Facebook.
In the end, that's probably why Bristol went home as second loser, while the right contestant went home with the mirrorball trophy. (Spoiler: it was Jennifer Grey; once again, no one puts Baby in a corner.) Politics aside, no one likes a sore winner. For the sake of everyone, let's hope Sarah doesn't learn from her daughter's mistakes.