The "if" portion of the sentence mitigates to me the other part. It's not starting a fight. I still think it was a stupid thing to say.

If Palin had been the one saying it, I rather doubt you'd still be saying that.

The "if" is not a mitigating factor. If you're doing to contend that Palin's comments were bordering on dangerous (which I now agree with), then I don't see how you can say that the knife-gun statement is any less so.

There is a culture in this country that has no problem jumping on Palin anytime she acts like a crackpot (which she IS), but is also afraid to hold Obama to the same standard.