Legal Commentary

Leaving aside any of my own views on Sarah Palin, I must offer a note of translation to those who watched her interview on the Today show, or read about it here.  Palin is quoted as saying the following about her unconventional desire to give a concession speech of her own on Election Night, which was nixed by the McCain campaign:

Ms. Palin said she wanted to introduce Mr. McCain on election night in order to ?brag him up,? as she put it, ?and do what John McCain just can?t seem to do for himself, bless his heart.?

I don't know how she came by the locution, but Southerners and folks like me who live in the South understand its meaning and, as a public service, are glad to translate it for you.  Here's how one writer describes the phrase:

In the South, we believe in being polite even if it kills us.  So, when we just can't fight the urge to say something nasty, we follow it up with a "bless her heart" just to make us feel better. "Look at that poor woman trying to jog around that track. Her rear-end is dragging a trail, bless her heart."

The title of a book on Southern life gets it about right: Bless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments.  I think McCain's people made the right call on this one.  Any "bragging up" that is prefaced or followed by "bless your heart" is going to feel just a tad more like tearing down.