Is Palin Being Scapegoated?

This is what Roger Simon wonders in a piece at Politico. There's no doubt that, should Senator McCain lose Tuesday's vote, the shouts of Palin-blame will intensify. Moreover, whether the McCain-Palin ticket wins or not, it's quite likely that the McCain aids' public scorn will play directly into the larger struggle between moderates and Social Conservatives for party control--especially as the Governor will maintain a major presence within the GOP from here on out. So we're going to hear about this "diva"/"whackjob"/ "goin' rogue" nonsense for a while yet, and it could well backfire on McCain's people (and their political futures) in the long run.

Aside: If you haven't yet read Ross Douthat's piece, "Rush Limbaugh Explains It All," you should. Douthat takes on Limbaugh's argument that "moderate republicanism had its chance this year, and it failed."