Sarah Palin's Nature Show Still a Reality

I can't help thinking that this should have been over after April Fool's Day, but it's still happening — Sarah Palin will be hosting a reality show about "the wonder and majesty of Alaska" on the Discovery Channel. Earlier this week, John Henricks, founder and chairman of Discovery Communications, confirmed that the show still has the network's support while he skirted the what were you thinking?  questions of Daily Finance's Jeff Bercovici.

In response to Bercovici's question about how Discovery could reconcile Palin's record with the channel's pro-nature stance, Henricks said: "We've had success in the past where we've had people who've had an obvious connection to a region or state ... So what we're doing is just — she obviously loves her state. So this is not political. This is Sarah Palin kind of presenting the state to viewers."

Define "loves her state." Because, to me, someone who loves her state doesn't cheer on the destruction of a unique wildlife reserve with "Drill, Baby. Drill." She wouldn't challenge the federal government in order to keep polar bears and beluga whales off the endangered species list because protections would interfere with prospecting for oil and gas in her beloved region. But Sarah Palin pulled both of those stunts, along with many others that threatened Alaskan wildlife.

And what does "kind of presenting the state" mean? That she'll show it off limb by limb, the way she wanted to offer a $150 bounty for every severed foreleg of a wolf killed in her aerial slaughter campaign?

Discovery Channel prides itself on being "at the forefront of environmental programming." If Palin were just a hunter, I could almost understand it. Personally, I have no desire to watch  hunting or fishing shows, but much of the conservation movement has been built by hunters who want to preserve wildlife so it's there for them to shoot it. But when it comes to nature, Palin is all take and no give. She doesn't just shoot animals, but she advocates for wholesale massacres, and then she looks for ways to hand over their habitat to developers. Not exactly a role model for conservation.

The problem is, as much as we may wish Sarah Palin were a joke, she has a serious following in this country. Henricks is only fooling himself when he says it's not political. Most people believe she's angling for a 2012 run for the White House, and a controversial show will help keep her in the limelight until campaign season. The sad thing is, if the show airs, it will grab ratings. People always tune in to watch a train wreck.

That's why Sarah Palin's Alaska needs to stay off the air. If you haven't already taken the Defenders of Wildlife action urging Discovery to drop the show, here's the link. Tell Discovery that Sarah Palin and nature don't mix ... and then tell your friends. Protecting Alaska's rich wildlife would be enough of a reason to stop production, but if Palin is able to leverage this show to launch a presidential campaign, it's a threat to wildlife everywhere.

Photo credit: Basharepublican