I heard an NPR host refer to Pam Bondi as something like a "rising rock star in the conservative movement." Not knocking the host as it was followed by some critical coverage, but it occurred to me that this is a common way to refer to any conservative Republican that someone might have actually heard of, while liberals/Democrats basically never get labeled that way. I think I remember Obama being given some similar descriptions in 2004, but that's really it. At some point all 17 members of the clown car, even Jim Gilmore, were rock stars (I think I'm kidding on that last one. I think).
It's a silly label for politicians, and I'm happy to be without it, but it's part of the general tendency to talk up conservatives.
It doesn't always quite work out.
