Bristol Palin to waltz on set of "Dancing with the Stars"

Who would have ever thought to combine politics and the quick step? According to recent press releases Bristol Palin will be "waltzing" onto the set of "Dancing with the Stars" this month in the shows 11th season premiere. Bristol of course the daughter of Sarah Palin former Governor of the great state of Alaska and former Vice Presidential Candidate. The Palin family story is a rather intriguing and I've been watching the relentless media frenzy which continues to surround them ever since they made a grand entrance onto the national political stage in 2008 at the GOP Convention. Sarah at that time was the main focus for obvious reasons, and ever since her introduction to the world she continues her ongoing transition from localized state politics to the national spotlight, wether or not she ultimately succeeds in achieving her ambitious goals remains to be seen, one would assume we will gain more insight as her story progresses.

Never the less, the media continues it's nonstop inquisitive probe which includes their recent focus on the rather dubious claims that Sarah had breast augmentation surgery or implants after photographs surfaced of her attending the Belmont Stakes wearing a rather tight fitting top, inquiring minds need to know the truth. But aside from being an attractive, sassy, winner of the 1984 Miss Wasilla Beauty Pageant, and some will argue brilliant politician, and despite reports that Sarah clawed her way up to the most prestigious position in Alaska as Governor, you must give her credit for having the tenacity to overcome significant odds and prevail against very stiff competition in her quest to harness political power and wrap herself in public servant garb.

Appearing out of nowhere in 2008 as Senator John McCain's controversial Vice Presidential running mate, she managed to turn an unsuccessful VP bid into a rather successful nonstop whirlwind self publicity and promotion machine which continues to this day. I remember it well, the media speculation leading up to the 2008 GOP convention and the much anticipated McCain announcement, all the print and television media pundits crunching numbers and franticly making calls to try and get the answer to this closely held secret. And then wham, out of left field, as McCain begins to position himself for a tough presidential bid against the vibrant Democratic nominee, he steps up to the podium and announces Sarah Palin as his choice. And soon there after the relatively unknown self proclaimed "pit bull" Governor made her presence known in her first major appearance by waltzing tenaciously up and onto the platform at the 2008 GOP convention. As the world watched in an effort to gain valuable knowledge and insight pertaining to this relative new comer, after all was said and done at the convention the one sound bite which resonated around the world and certainly in my opinion upstaged Senator McCain's entire platform agenda orientated speech was the following " What's the difference between a hockey mom & a pit bull? And the answer which was played over and over following her speach as if it were looped into perpetual motion was, " Lipstick" And before the final sylable was articlated you could hear the ear piercing decibel busting roars & cheers from the partisan crowd, soon thereafter the reverberations of this one sentance would engulf and capture the imagination of all. And the rest of course is history.

Now that we have one more of many perspectives regarding the ever evolving Palin family, let's switch gears and talk about the real potential future star of the family, her daughter Bristol, a young feisty and seemingly intelligent young adult who appears to display the same competitive spirit which may even rival her moms in the coming years. Her personal life, as it always is with politics, is under close scrutiny and to actually get the chance to see her in a completely different dimension such as network television will be interesting to say the least. So let's briefly talk about Bristol's upcoming appearance on one of the most popular prime time shows of this decade, "Dancing with the Stars" which will air on Sept. 20, marking an 11 season run with no signs of slowing down.

"Dancing with the Stars" of course is a family oriented show in which celebrities are coupled with a group of professionals and together they embark on a multi week dancing extravaganza to see who will reign supreme and take home the illustrious 1970's style "Mirror Ball Trophy". The professional dancer is responsible for teaching and training the "celebrity" how to dance several different styles including the Tango, Quick Step, The Jive, The Samba, and of course everyone's favorite, The Waltz, where A man & woman embrace, hold each other close, and with heads held slightly upward and away from each other, they float effortlessly across the ballroom floor in an elegant display of sophisticated romance. It's one of my favorites, and I'm sure it may be yours as well. Bristol, if given the chance, and not voted off by the public in haste, will partake in all the scheduled dances including the waltz. I'm very curious to see how much viewer support she can garner considering her high profile life and the relentless media infactuation with her and the entire family. Can she really dance? Is she up to the challenge? Will her mother Sarah make a surprise appearance? All these questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks as the show debutes and progresses.

Although there have been politicians tripping the light fantastic or in some cases just tripping, and appearing on other television shows in previous years, only one in my opinion really stands out of the crowd, and that's former House of Representatives GOP Leader Tom Delay. In case you missed it, he appeared on "Dancing with the Stars" a few seasons back, and although he was energetic, enthusiastic, charming, affable, charismatic and just about everything else an ex politician could possibly aspire to be, trying his darndest to quick step his way into the hearts and minds of the public by dancing on a lighted stage amidst all the Hollywood glitz & glamor, unfortunately he fell far short of attaining the trophy and as a matter of fact at times it was a little painful to watch. Obviously the training he received in the art of dance was either substandard or it just wasn't his cup of tea, in any event the judges and fans ranked him appropriately. So needless to say I'm very curious to see how Bristol's attempt at this fine art stacks up against the only other politicain to appear on the show. I'll be watching from begining to end.

This Seasons Lineup:

Michael Bolton
Age - 57
Singer, Recording Artist

Margaret Cho
Age - 41
Her main claim to fame is stand up comedian

Rick Fox
Age - 41
Former Los Angeles Laker and prime time actor.

Jennifer Grey
Age - 50
Actress, "Dirty Dancing" & " Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

David Hasselhoff
Age - 58
Actor / Singer & just about everything in between, "Knightrider" & "Baywatch"

Florence Henderson
Age - 76
Best known for her role as Mrs. Brady on the 1960's & 70's family show "The Brady Bunch"

Kyle Massey
Age - 19
Rapper, Actor

Brandy Norwood
Age - 31
Singer

Bristol Palin
Age - 19
Spokesperson & Sarah Palin's daughter

Audrina Patridge
Age - 25
"The Hills" Reality TV star

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Age - 29
"Joisey Boy" from the hit reality TV show "Jersey Shore"

Kurt Warner
Age - 39
Future Hall of Fame Quarterback and Super Bowl Champion