If you watched Anderson Cooper’s 360 on CNN Tuesday night, you would have gotten some laughs — if you suffered through a side-splitting display of self-righteous indignation from David Gergen and Mark Halperin. They were obsessed with the latest Palin storyline: Why isn’t Sarah Palin doing interviews? “Outrageous, outrageous,” they tut-tutted. And they seemed confused as to why. Honestly.

Hmm. Could it be that their network and every other MSM outlet ripped her to shreds, turned her into a caricature and spread vile gossip about her for days? It didn’t seem to dawn on Gergen or Halperin. And in all the discussion of her popularity they never managed to explain the media’s role in building her audience, fueling conservative solidarity and engendering sympathy for the new political star.

And they bemoaned — “A new low!” — the reaction to Obama’s “lipsitck on a pig” comment. Not Obama’s comment mind you. The reaction. And they complained their own program was covering it. All a distraction, all nonsense. Former Virginia Senator George Allen, who lost a 2006 Senate race over something far more trivial (“macaca”), no doubt wishes that sentiment prevailed during his race.

It is shocking how lacking in self-awareness these pundits and many of their colleagues are. They constantly misread the electorate because they have a skewed view of reality in which they stand at the center of events. No wonder they invariably get things wrong, especially with regard to conservative opinion and reaction ).

One note: CNN did do a credible job of debunking the Palin myths (e.g. creationism, Pat Buchanan). I give the network credit for that. The commentary is an embarrassment.