I loved Sarah Palin from the minute she stormed onto the national political scene last year as the Republican vice-presidential candidate because she is the quintessential enlightened redneck. That’s why I named her the “Enlightened Redneck of the Year.”

But I missed this gem about her background amid all of the frenzied coverage in the fall: She registered the name Rouge Cos Co. for a potential marketing and consulting company before she became the governor of Alaska. The company name is French, and it means “red neck.” I love it.

Palin talked to an Anchorage Daily News reporter about the name.

Rouge Cou — it’s a classy way of saying redneck. It’s a French word. Rouge is red, cou is neck. It’s for marketing and consulting, in case I wanted to go that route, I’d have my ducks all lined up and have a business license. I just was granted that business license. …

It was to, again, get my ducks lined up, because I would like to, with some of the endeavors that I have going on right now, there comes a time when one desires to be paid for them!

Palin and I are definitely on the same creative wavelength. I’ve always dreamed of owning a big piece of land in the country so I can hunt and do a little farming. Years ago, my wife and I picked a name for our dream farm that would combine her Louisiana heritage with my West Virginia heritage.

If we’re ever lucky enough to own that land, we’ll call it Rougeneck Farm and have a sign to that effect over the driveway.