The very fact that you are having to defend its use proves its stupidity.
It doesn’t need defending. People use metaphors like this all the time in politics, and a graphic representation of “targeting” an opponent’s district is rather mild.
I think it’s stupid for any of Palin’s people to describe them as anything other than cross-hairs. Defending it makes it sounds like it’s something that needs defense.
If I were her PR mouthpiece, (there’s a scary thought) any time it was brought up I’d say it was the printed equivalent of Obama saying “If they bring a knife, We’ll bring a gun”.