By Aarti Johri

Move over  Bushisms – we now have Palinisms.  And while Katie Couric and Tina Fey are doing all they can to keep our sense of humor up in these dour times, a number of columnists/talk show hosts are doing their bit too. Here is a brief compilation of what some of the best are saying about the lady who is a 72-year old heartbeat away from the Presidency.

1.    Sarah Palin is the perfect exclamation point to the Bush years. Op-Ed Bob Herbert, Oct 4, 2008

2.    Sometimes, her sentences have a Yoda-like — “When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not” — splendor.  OP-ED COLUMNIST MAUREEN DOWD, OCT 4 , 2008

3.    After Ms. Palin had woven one of her particularly impenetrable linguistic webs, Joe Biden turned to the debate’s moderator, Gwen Ifill, and said: “Gwen, I don’t know where to start.” Of course he didn’t know where to start because Ms. Palin’s words don’t mean anything. She’s all punctuation.  Op-Ed Bob Herbert, Oct 4, 2008

4.    Will someone please put Sarah Palin out of her agony? Is it too much to ask that she come to realize that she wants, in that wonderful phrase in American politics, “to spend more time with her family”? Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, Sept 27, 2008

5.    “BE AFRAID” (POINTING TO MCCAIN PICTURE). “BE VERY AFRAID” (POINTING TO SARAH PALIN PICTURE) – DEMONSTRATOR  CYNTHIA FRYBARGER IN SAN JOSE AT A LOCAL FUNDRAISER (FROM SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, DATED OCT 2008)

6.    “In Boca Raton, Florida, yesterday, a woman who looked like Sarah Palin caused a near riot when she walked into a diner for breakfast. And after a minute or two, people finally realized it wasn’t her when she started answering questions.” —Jay Leno

7.    “Are you excited about Sarah Palin? Well, yesterday she referred to Afghanistan as our neighboring country. Apparently, she can see bin Laden’s cave from her house.” —David Letterman

8.    “Actually, Sarah Palin is currently rehearsing for the debate, but insiders tell me it’s not going that well because she keeps saying, ‘I’d like to buy a vowel, Pat.'” —David Letterman

9.    “Meanwhile the big question that I don’t know if anyone has asked yet — while Sarah Palin’s yammering it up with Joe Biden in St. Louis, who’s keeping an eye on the Russians? What happens if Putin decides to rear his head?” —Jimmy Kimmel

10. “John McCain showed up without running mate Sarah Palin, which is a shame because she actually has a lot of experience with financial matters. You know, she lives right next to a bank.” Jimmy Kimmel, 27th September, 2008.

11.”The legislative panel in Alaska investing Troopergate released their report that says Sarah Palin illegally abused her power as governor by firing the state police chief because he wouldn’t fire her sister’s ex-husband. But they said she didn’t actually break the law so she won’t go to prison. Which is a pity because it would have been the first time she was ever involved in a complete sentence.” –Bill Maher

12. “In Boca Raton, Florida, yesterday, a woman who looked like Sarah Palin caused a near riot when she walked into a diner for breakfast. And after a minute or two, people finally realized it wasn’t her when she started answering questions.” –Jay Leno

13. “She kept reaching out to Joe Sixpack. That’s because her answers make more sense after six beers.” –David Letterman