The mainstream media is predictably unhinged at Sarah Palin’s remarks at Saturday’s National Tea Party convention. But the current relapse of Palin Derangement Syndrome is mostly attributed to her having scribbled a few notes on her hand. Apparently this is a big deal worthy of just about every media outlet’s ire.

Chris Matthews was particularly absurd, considering the questions he raised could just as easily be leveled at Barack Obama tenfold. Matthews asked at the beginning of his segment: “Can a palm reader be president?” Can someone who carries around a teleprompter like a security blanket be president? Apparently so.

Matthews: “What do we think of kids in school who write stuff on their hands to get through a test?” Well, that would be cheating, but as far as I could tell Palin was not taking a test.

Matthews: “What do we think of a would-be political leader who does it to look like she’s speaking without notes?” Sort of like using a teleprompter?

Chris Matthews and his ilk try to suggest that a few words written on one’s hand is somehow worse than a president who uses a teleprompter with every single word spelled out for him.

No, it’s not uncommon for a politician to use notes or a teleprompter, but Barack Obama is the first to rely upon it almost totally, even in front of elementary school children. The American Spectator notes that for many events: “… down to many of the questions and the answers to those questions. … [t]eleprompter screens at the events scrolled not only his opening remarks, but also statistics and information he could use to answer questions.” It quoted one Obama advisor as saying the President is looking into installing computer screens in White House podiums so “it would make it easier for the comms (communications) guys to pass along information without being obvious about it.”

Even with a teleprompter Obama still manages to gaffe, most recently with his pronunciation of ‘corpseman’ - this from a man we are constantly told is “articulate.” But despite everything, the story that should evoke harsh criticism is the person with six words written on her hand.