My old friend Tony has it right when he says:
Some commentators have suggested he straightforwardly implied that Palin was a pig. Which would be insulting, but doesn't sound sexist to me. A more subtle (although more sensible) jab would be the following implied argument:
- A pig with lipstick is still a pig
- Palin (according to her acceptance speech) is a pitbull with lipstick
- Palin is still a pitbull
That’s arguably unfavorable, except that Palin made the comparison herself.