A million Sarah Palins

People who dress up as politicians usually look "as dull as Roberts Rules," said Stephanie Hayes in Florida's St. Petersburg Times. "A mask, a gray suit, a yawn. But this year, costume enthusiasts have been blessed with a glittery beacon of hope in stilettos—Sarah Palin!"

"There will be thousands of Palins" out there, said Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle, "so be sure to add your own flair that sets you apart." You can buy a mask online, but costume stores probably didn't know Palin would be this year's big thing in time to stock up. But buy a sash and you can be Miss Wassilla 1984 Palin, or grab some department-store bags and you can be "Saks Fifth Avenue Shopping Spree Palin."

Just try to keep it civil, said the Los Angeles Times in an editorial. Some forms of holiday mockery—like the Palin effigy hanging from a noose that one Hollywood couple displayed—cross the line. Some even call such outrageous stuff a hate crime; maybe not, but there's no denying that it can "poison our political discourse and needlessly deepen our divisions."

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See how many Barack Obamas and John McCains you spot in the sea of Palins, said Bill Freehling in the Fredericksburg, Va., Free Lance-Star. Halloween-mask sales have predicted the outcome of every presidential election since 1980, and this year paper masks of Obama are outselling McCain masks on Buycostumes.com by 10 percentage points.