Bristol Palin's 'DWTS' run fuels conspiracy theories

Bristol Palin in the finals of ABC ballroom competition Dancing With the Stars? Shocker!

Conspiracy theory. The Palin Effect. Tea Partiers and other grassroots conservatives gaming the vote.

OK, so it's only a TV show, with theyouth nfl jerseys ultimate prize a cheesy mirror-ball trophy. And the 20-year-old teen activist, who doesn't act, sing or dance, is a contestant because she's the daughter of potential presidential contender Sarah Palin.

But the back-biting, rumor-mongering and media storm surrounding speculation over Bristol's surprisingly long run on TV's top-rated show reached a fever pitch after she bested entertainer Brandy Norwood Tuesday night to advance into next week's finals (Monday, 8 ET/PT). There she'll face Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey and Disney Channel star Kyle Massey.

Palin and pro partner Mark Ballas have been ranked Washington Jerseynear the bottom of the dance teams a half dozen times; TV prognosticators have smelled something fishy for weeks. "She's whipped up passions of people and the cloud of brouhaha just like Sarah Palin," says DWTS executive producer Conrad Green.

Brandy, tearful Tuesday after she was booted off the show, lent support to Bristol in a Wednesday e-mail to USA TODAY.

"Bristol came into the show so Miami Jerseyquiet and shy, and it reminds me a lot of when I first started out in the business," she said. "Over these past few months we have hung out and she really is a very sweet and kind person. Bristol has a great sense of humor and we laughed a lot together and learned a lot from DWTS. Like myself, I think that this show has given her a lot of self confidence."

Palin and Ballas — a two-time DWTS winner — Green Bay Jerseyscored their first triple-9 scores Monday for their pasodoble, and finished the evening with a combined judges' score of 53, just four points behind Norwood and partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy's two-dance score of 57. But judges' scores count for half of the results, and can be offset by a celebrity's fan base and popularity among viewers.

"While Bristol has been at the bottom of the leader board, she hasn't been miles behind the other dancers," says Green. "The closer the judges' scores, the more important the audience votes are. If you're passionate about it, you make the effort to vote for your favorite performer. It's a participation sport, even for the audience."

Green notes that DWTS, which has one of TV's oldestNew York Jersey viewing demographics, may feel maternal toward young contestants such as Palin, who had no background as an entertainer or dancer, unlike most of the celebrities who've appeared over 11 seasons. "People love the story of the ordinary person. Bristol embodies that."

Clearly, Bristol's ties to Sarah — who has appeared in the DWTS audience twice — as well as websites such as conservatives4palin.com and Hillbuzz.org, which have shown readers how and where to vote, have helped. Hillbuzz editor Kevin DuJan has been promoting her DWTS run since the season's debut. He has personally voted for Bristol "hundreds of times" via 40 e-mail addresses. "Each address is allowed to vote 10 times. You can also telephone. You can easily vote hundreds of times if you want to take the time to do it," says DuJan.

He suggests Bristol's support isn't political.Oakland Jersey "I think it's moms, sisters, grandmoms, dads — people who are voting with their hearts, not with a political agenda."

The grassroots support isn't unprecedented. Past DWTS competitors, such as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, may have not demonstrated keen prowess on the dance floor. But they've used social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and fan websites to drum up support for extended DWTS appearances.

Others seem quite disturbed that she has made Dallas Jerseyit this far. One irate viewer in Wisconsin became so enraged that a political figure's daughter was still on the show that he fired a shotgun into his TV Monday night, triggering a standoff with Dane County officers. His wife said the 66-year-old had been drinking; he faces disorderly conduct and weapons charges.