Jim Geraghty on TKS at NationalReview.com has written lately about the movement in the American public that he sees as a ‘Tipping Point’ in our view of Muslims.  I highly recommend reading at least two of his recent posts on the subject.  Here’s a quote from the original post :

I stand by my reaction of the past couple days. But I’ve also come to a depressing conclusion.

A significant chunk of the American public, including a number of prominent thinkers on the right, have concluded that the problem with Islam… is Islam.

…

These are not the reactions of bigots or haters. These are the reactions of men and women whose patience is exhausted.

It’s not just Michael Graham, Daniel Pipes, Robert Spencer and the gang at Little Green Footballs anymore.

Maybe when you see a thug in training carrying a sign saying "Islam will dominate" at Ground Zero in Manhattan, it’s the straw that breaks the camel’s back. As a Red State contibutor said, "Not there. Not ever."

I know, from my experiences, that there are significant numbers of Muslims who have no beef with the West, who want to live the American dream, who can practice their faith and coexist with other religions. I’ve documented their efforts to take back their faith from the bin Ladens of the world. But apparently they are too quiet.

I wonder how many Muslims understand how the actions of the embassy-torching maniacs define their faith to so many. I wonder how many don’t know, how many don’t care, and how many do know and care but are too scared of the consequences to stand against the violence committed in their name. I’m trying to articulate my positive experiences with Muslims over here to my readers, but it’s not as powerful and penetrating an image as screaming lunatics burning down embassies and threatening to behead anyone who they believe has insulted them. And frankly, I’m not all that wowed with the reaction of moderate Muslims. I’m not sure how much further I want to stick my neck out defending a faith community that won’t loudly and firmly police or rebuke its own members.

It’s depressing, but maybe we’ve got to go through this… delaying a clash might be just postponing the inevitable…

And here is a quote from today’s post , applying the observation to the politics surrounding the Dubai Ports deal:

Welcome to Post-Tipping Point politics. There is no upside to doing the right thing – which is to emphasize, as one blogger put it, that there is a difference between Dubai and Damascus. There is tremendous political upside to doing the wrong thing, boldly declaring, “I don’t care what the Muslim world thinks, I’m not allowing any Arab country running ports here in America! I don’t care how much President Bush claims these guys are our allies, I don’t trust them, and I’m not going to hand them the keys to the vital entries to our country!”

And more and more, I think Glenn Reynolds had it right; the entire Tipping Point phenomenon can be summed up as action and reaction. The Bush Administration’s reaction to the cartoon riots was comparably milquetoast. The violence and threats committed over the cartoons shocked, frightened and really, really angered Americans. They want somebody to smack the Muslim world back onto its heels and set them straight: “It doesn’t matter how offensive a cartoon is, you’re not allowed to riot, burn down embassies and kill people over it.”

They’re ashamed that Denmark is leading the fight over this.

Recommended reading, head on over and read both posts.  For my part I would not disagree with the thrust of Mr. Geraghty’s thoughts, but perhaps just the degree of the shift and its permanence.  Political moods shift rapidly and with the Ports deal coming so soon after the Cartoon Riots there is much more intensity.  I would think that the intensity will fade just as it did after 9/11.  Predicting long term policy from the current high point emotional trend is just not wise, short of a truly defining event that solidifies the shift.  Geraghty is saying the Cartoon Riots was that event, I’m not so sure.  Maybe.