I think that a JIT compiler will eventually be added to python, so the sooner this happens the better.  The new generation of javascript engines (e.g. V8) have shown us how fast dynamic code can be; there is no reason python can't achieve this either.  I also think the swallow team has gone about this in the right way: presenting what they've done, and asking for what needs to happen before it can become mainline.  They obviously value this merge, so kudos to google.<p>On the other hand, performance so far is quite underwhelming.  Certainly, as a PEP, this is by no means intended to be merged now, but to provide a roadmap for the future.  Here's to hoping they can remove their remaining roadblocks.