Stupid — and Smart

By Zamboni

If their lives had not overlapped, we cats might have thought that Diana, Princess of Wales, was reincarnated as Sarah Palin.

Why? Because while Diana failed her "O" levels and later readily (and famously) admitted that she was "as thick as a plank," she was so gifted at managing her image that she drove the Royal Family batty for 16 years.

Governor Palin, while even thicker than Diana — do we really need to revisit why we know that? — also seems to understand public relations quite well. We cats have found it very interesting, the way she's cozied up to Texas Governor Rick Perry — to head off a potential female rival in Kay Bailey Hutchison — and how she's gone conspicuously silent during the Republican National Committee's recent travails.

One more trait they share: physical attractiveness. We cats are unconvinced that the world would have cared about either Lady Diana or the former Alaska beauty queen if they'd looked like Camilla Parker Bowles. (Sorry, Your Highness — but since you've got him now, and have that wardrobe of fabulous hats, we hope you'll forgive our little swipe.)

Yes, the late Princess of Wales may have been a genius at public relations. But as we all know, she also made a lifetime of terrible choices — including getting into that Mercedes, driven by a drunk, with a hapless Egyptian playboy whom she trusted to protect her. Whether Governor Palin ever makes a similarly bad choice remains to be seen.