The XX Factor: What women really think.

Aww, Isn't She Cute?

Dahlia, my suspicion is that the McCain campaign doesn't really know what to do with her. They are afraid not that she'll say something stupid and embarrassing but that she'll say something too street-smart, or wicked, or aggressive. A woman with her reckless confidence might be appealing to conservative women but not necessarily to men. Based on nothing but my intuition, I'm guessing part of the reason the Palin effect is fading so fast is that they've tried so hard to turn her into a pet—adorable, as you say, but mute. So now she's fetching but useless. And who else could we blame but her male handlers? It can't possibly be her choice. One suspects she would love to take the liberal media on, given the chance.