Bristol the Pistol Dances for Mama Sarah

They know their way around the media world, those Palins from Alaska. Right now, daughter Bristol dances her way through a prime time television series, while mother Sarah campaigns by keeping her face in front of the cameras.

Sarah Palin made her national political debut in August 2008, when she ran for vice president — up until that time, very few Americans had ever heard of the governor of Alaska. But she became a media phenomenon overnight: from comedian Tina Fey’s Palin parodies on “Saturday Night Live” to an autobiography and on to magazine covers and countless talk show appearances.

The recent rise in Palin’s media activities has led observers to conclude that she’s preparing for a run for the presidency in 2012. Palin announced her intention to come out with another book and is currently employed by Fox News as a commentator; she’s also part of the television show “Real American Stories.” She Twitters, has a Facebook page and is planning a reality TV show for the near future.

American audiences already take a bit of reality television to heart every week when Palin’s daughter Bristol appears on the show “Dancing With the Stars,” along with C-list celebrities like Jennifer Grey and David Hasselhoff. Professional dancers twirl Bristol across the floor and are then judged by a jury.

In her first appearance a week ago, the 19-year-old Bristol appeared in a mouse-gray costume, doing a satirical impression of her mother, finishing by wearing a skimpy red dress as her partner twirled her around the dance floor to the song, “Mama Told Me Not To Come.” Mama, meanwhile, was sitting at home where she Twittered photos of the house party she was hosting.

One week later, Sarah Palin was in the studio when the next episode was recorded. Uncharacteristically reticent, she praised the “courage, joy and exuberance” of the dancers but avoided expressing any opinions about the jury. “It’s like a hockey game. You’re not going to chew out the refs before your team is up,” she commented. And her team is already into the next round.

However, now investigators in Alaska are looking into Bristol’s videotaped appearance (Sarah calls her “Bristol the Pistol”). It allegedly broke the strict Alaskan rules governing minors in establishments that serve alcohol. A film trailer showed Bristol and her dance partner in an establishment called Rumrunners Old Towne Bar and Grill in the city of Anchorage.

The Alaska Dispatch reported that the Alcohol and Control Board requested the videotape since people under the age of 21 aren’t allowed to be in bars unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or spouse. It will be argued that the establishment wasn’t actually a bar, rather, a restaurant where she was legally permitted in the company of her 24-year-old dance partner.

The whole thing is really just a huge media wave with insignificant causes. It will suffice to splash the Palins back into the headlines for a few days — until the next episode of “Dancing With The Stars,” when Republicans can once more practice voting for their favorite candidates.