Cable News' Sarah Palin Sickness

10:24 PM PST 1/25/2011 by Paul Bond

They just can't quit her: The real reasons behind MSNBC and Fox News' co-dependence on a reality show star with sinking approval ratings, whom they nonetheless keep alive as Obama's opposition leader.

Now that Keith Olbermann has left MSNBC, perhaps cable news can begin weaning itself from its addiction to Sarah Palin. Sure, it will be tough, even expensive — withdrawals usually are — but we all know that reporters themselves are aching for some Palin-free airtime, and audiences seem willing to give it a try as well, judging from her sudden drop in popularity polls.