The Globe's Matthew Gilbert observes, quite correctly, that landing Sarah Palin is a nice coup for Fox News.

Here's my question: is it as beneficial for Palin as it is for Fox?

Yes, I'm a Palin skeptic--but my uncertainty here has nothing to do with the woman or her politics. The issue, it seems to me, is that before this move Palin--on her own, in isolation--represented a remarkably potent political brand

Sarah Palin and Boston city councilor Chuck Turner probably don't agree on much, but they're definitely united in their low regard for the Fourth Estate.

At a press conference this afternoon on City Hall Plaza, Turner--who was recently arrested on a federal bribery charge--seemed angrier at the press than at law enforcement or City Council president Maureen Feeney, who stripped Turner of his committee chairmanships last week and then scheduled a meeting today at which Turner's fate on the council was going to be decided.

Readers of this blog know that I'm more than happy to rip on Sarah Palin when just cause exists. And it usually does.

But mocking her for "pardoning" a turkey, and then ignoring that other turkeys are being killed?

For the love of God, what's she supposed to do? Order the workers to stop the slaughter? Fall into a feminine faint? C'mon, people.

Today's subject: new media!

Like Romney spokesguy Eric Fehrnstrom and pretty much every sportswriter over forty, Sarah Palin isn't a big fan of blogs. Or, more precisely: she's not a big fan of "those bloggers in their parents' basement just talkin' garbage"--a phrase she apparently uttered twice in an interview with Fox's Greta Van Susteren.

More as it develops.

When last we left John McCain's running mate, she was accusing the media of violating her First Amendment rights.

Maybe it's the relief of getting to the end of the campaign, but today, Sarah Palin is in a more conciliatory mood today. From her post-voting remarks, via CNN.com's The Ticker:

Asked if she had any regrets about the campaign, Palin bemoaned “the state of journalism today.

I have a running argument with a friend about which anti-Obama attacks are racist. For example, I thought the McCain camp's Obama-disrespects-Palin ad played on toxic racist sentiments involving black men and white women. My friend didn't see it.

So I'd be interested to hear what readers think of Fox News's coverage of pro-Obama excitement in Kenya, his father's country of birth.

For months now, my colleague David Bernstein has been assuring me that Barack Obama's going to win the presidency by a wide margin tomorrow. But no matter what he says--and despite how promising the polls currently look--I can't help expecting the worst.

Sound familiar? If so, please join me in a little exercise.

So asks Politico's Jeanne Cummings. But she can't really get anyone to take the bait. That includes GOP strategist Mike Murphy, who says: "I don't see any risk at all."

I don't see it either, largely because the whole Obama-as-celebrity thing has already run its course. But you know what does worry me a bit? This new Obama spot targeting A) McCain's lack of economic expertise and B) his decision to pick Sarah Palin as his running mate:

Did a big black guy really rob and mutiliate a young white female in Pittsburgh after spotting a McCain-Palin sticker on her car?

Fox News suggests it's legit. TMZ is withholding judgment.

Here's a photo of the alleged victim. My prediction is that this is a stunt. If I'm wrong, feel free to point that out:

Earlier today, I accused Jon Keller of working for CBS4 and glibly dismissing charges of anti-Obama nastiness. Now, in a sizzlin'-hot response, Keller has 1) accused ME of glibness and 2) noted that CBS4 is known as WBZ-TV, and has been for some time.

I'll give him point two, and that's it. For starters, consider Keller's objection to my accusation:

CBS4's Jon Keller seems to think that--since the Secret Service can't confirm that anyone suggested killing Barack Obama during a Sarah Palin rally in Scranton--all claims of disturbing anti-Obama invective are baseless.

Over at Media Nation, however, Dan Kennedy notes that it's not that simple:

The first report that Palin's crowds were getting out of control appeared in the Washington Post in early October, when Dana Milbank covered a Florida event at which "Kill him!" was clearly heard.

That's the conclusion of Politico's Roger Simon:

The real problem for McCain is that Palin is running a separate--and scary--campaign that does not seem to be under anybody’s control.

She storms around the country saying: “Our opponent ... is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect, imperfect enough that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country.

Here's LA Times political blogger (and former Laura Bush press secretary!) Andrew Malcolm arguing that the press isn't paying enough attention to nastiness among opponents of John McCain and Sarah Palin:

As a growing number of political bloggers, including Wake Up America, have asked in recent hours, how long do you think before the mainstream media starts reporting on scenes like a Philadelphia event on Saturday where people wore T-shirts that bore an explicitly crude reference to Sarah Palin? With 22 campaign days left, might perhaps the Democratic ticket also feel the need to warn its supporters to tone it down?

At first I thought today's Frank Rich column would stand as the definitive take on the McCain-Palin campaign's descent into incendiary xenophobia. But it's already outdated!. From CNN's The Ticker:

A minister delivering the invocation at John McCain’s rally in Davenport, Iowa Saturday told the crowd non-Christian religions around the world were praying for Barack Obama to win the U.