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Here’s a thought: The 70% of Americans who oppose what amounts to an Islamic Niketown two blocks from ground zero are the real victims of a climate of hate, and anti-Muslim backlash is mostly a myth.

Get ready for the most productive and decent political condition known to man: sweet gridlock. You get nothing. And after what you’ve been through these past few years, you deserve it.

A rapidly weakening economy threatens to undermine President Obama’s assertion that he has set the nation on a path to prosperity and, with barely two months until congressional midterm elections, Democrats find themselves with few options for reviving the faltering recovery.

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The entire administration reflects incompetence. They need a massive change in leadership, or more accurately, we need a massive change in leadership.

Cutting spending is never easy politically. In an election season like this one, being honest about spending is liable to get you labeled as an “extremist.” But it is time for someone to step up and show the courage to tell the American people that Santa Claus isn’t coming to town.

The Washington Post spoke for the established viewpoint on Monday when it published online under the headline “Wither Palin?” the observation that Miller “looks to be headed to a convincing loss.” Meanwhile, Slate anticipated the consequences of what it saw as the almost inevitable “embarrassing defeat” for Palin, who endorsed Miller in June.

In fairness, this was just one race in one state-a state where Palin has been a player longer than anywhere else.

Still, this is the upset of the year so far. And Palin was at the center of it. Miller, an attorney from Fairbanks who got in the race late and with little money, did not hesitate to credit Palin, saying of the former governor’s support: “I’m absolutely certain that was pivotal.”

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Meek’s victory adds another fresh twist. The Democratic establishment cannot circle around Crist, as the Republican establishment did Lieberman. Obama will be compelled to at least passively support Meek, despite Meek’s long shot status. Meek was loyal to Hillary Clinton in 2008. But Meek is a party man. The cold shoulder would also make for bad theater. Meek is the only black candidate this year with any chance at serving in the Senate. The upper chamber is on track to have no black senators by 2011.

Results on Wednesday showed Joe Miller holding a slim lead of about 1,900 votes over Murkowski, but a winner might not be declared until election officials count as many as 10,000 absentee ballots, which could take several days.

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