Palin and British wishful-thinking

The word on this side of the pond is that some Brits are filled with glee from "news" stories like this one in the Guardian ("Sarah Palin hit by fallout from Arizona shooting spree"), which predict that the Arizona shootings will result in the demise of Sarah Palin. I believe these Brits are misinformed, and as guilty as the liberal commentators over here in jumping to wishful-thinking conclusions.

As it happens, Palin seems to be faring pretty well through the partisan storm. As noted in my previous post, most Americans don't blame heated rhetoric for the Tucson shootings (and "heated rhetoric" is a code word for Palin and the Tea Party). She is almost the only politician keeping quiet, her only public statement being a message of sympathy via Facebook. Pundits have criticized her for keeping mum, and have called on her apologize or show more emotion. But I think there's a good chance she will be praised for treating the event with solemnity, which is much more in line with the country's mood (in fact, all the partisan squabbling has, I believe, made people even more hungry for some respectful silence). When she does emerge, I bet she will say something non-political (like reference to the victims' families) that will make her seem more human than the political intelligentsia.

Palin is no Einstein, but liberals on both sides of the Atlantic can sometimes make her appear like a political genius.