Palin: A Dog or A Pig?

As Dave pointed out earlier today, Barack Obama is being criticized for using the same metaphor that John McCain has sometimes used himself, as he did when criticizing Hillary Clinton's health care plan. "Lipstick on a pig," is the phrase in question, and some people would like you to be outraged that Obama would mention "pig" and "Sarah Palin" in the same breath. Clearly, they cry, Obama was being sexist. It's also clear that what Obama--while making an allusion to transformative powers of lipstick--was poking fun at was McCain's claim that he is suddenly the "change" candidate, not Palin's looks.

The cry of "sexism!" also conveniently omits the obvious fact that in her big speech before the Republican convention, Palin proudly likened herself (and Hockey mom's in general) to a pit bull with lipstick. A dog, in other words.

Just as it is every four years in America, in China it's the year of the rat. But you probably guessed as much already, what with the smell from the campaign trail.