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Katz and the show's executive producer, Conrad Green, had discussed casting a politician for a long time. Programs like theirs thrive on confounding people's expectations. One of DWTS's key early successes, says Green, was snagging boxer Evander Holyfield. People tuned in because they couldn't believe a onetime heavyweight champ would be hoofing it on TV. To keep its audience growing, the show - which, according to Nielsen, averaged 20 million viewers last season - has to find contestants who will bring in new fan bases, beyond its usual rotation of sports figures, minor Hollywood celebs and reality stars...
...stamina for five hours of rehearsal six days a week. Most incumbents are too busy, most retired politicians are too frail, and most losing candidates are too forgotten. That pretty much narrows it down to someone whose political career was cut short after a big scandal and - since the show's core audience is older women - preferably one that didn't involve infidelity. (Put the tux back in storage, John Edwards...
...DWTS stars have had minor brushes with the law. They didn't care that he was a politically divisive figure. "You don't get good salad without a bit of vinegar," says Green. They cared about only one thing: Could he play well with others? "Most reality shows are cast for conflict," says Green. "If you cast our show that way, it would break." All the "stars" are partnered with professional dancers, who teach them how to dance--and how to win viewers' and judges' hearts and votes. Each pair gets pretty close. (DeLay is being mentored by Cheryl Burke...
...motives seem less obvious. Since leaving Congress in June 2006, he's been running a political consultancy. Did someone counsel him that the path to elder statesmanship is best taken at a waltz? DeLay says he simply discussed the plan with his wife and daughter, both fans of the show, who urged him to go for it. "They said, 'Sure, why not? Let's do it.' " His only wider aim in participating, he insists, is to win. "I'm surprised people consider it unusual that a former politician would be on a dancing show," he says. "Politics is also show...
...makes a difference that DeLay comes to the show as a fan. For many of the male contestants, the biggest stumbling block is what producers call the entourage factor: What will the guy's friends say? But DeLay had already outed himself when, in 2006, he e-mailed his supporters, urging them to vote for country star Sara Evans' "good American values" against Jerry Springer and his "smut" (to no avail, since Evans left the show voluntarily around the same time she announced her divorce). (See the top 10 skanky reality TV shows...