Is Sarah Palin's video a preview for a possible campaign in 2012? Nation correspondent Ari Melber explains why she hasn't crossed over into social media organizing just yet.
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When Sarah Palin’s new video was viewed 368,000 times, was anyone thinking, "That’s the woman I want for president"? Sara Terry, host of PRI’s To The Point, puts that question to Nation correspondent Ari Melber, who answers, not likely. Only two percent of Palin’s Facebook following even "bothered bothered to check in with the video at all." And as Melber points out, "Most of the viewers actually came from traditional news sites, the lamestream media that she likes to critique."
Since most of the people watching the video are people who won’t be ponying up contributions, was the $200,000 she reportedly spent on political and image consultants worth it? Melber says yes, if her goal is just to stay in the media spotlight. But the money was not well spent for political organizing. Her video is no Obama "Yes We Can" campaign video, which generated 5 million views to her mere 300,000. If Palin wants to continue to be a television figure, she’s all set, but "as a candidate," Melber says, "she hasn’t crossed over yet."
—Melanie Breault
To The Point