Long Knives out for Palin

The national press was unquestionably hard on Sarah Palin and Republicans were outraged. With the election of Barack Obama however, we are now treated to the spectacle of Republican operatives fighting it out over Palin; and they make the national media look like a bunch of panty-waists.

Within the McCain campaign frictions began to emerge near the campaigns end with anonymous complaints that Palin was 'going rogue'. Back then going rogue largely meant that she spoke to the media more and was mildly critical of the McCain robocalls. Within the McCain campaign, there had to be a sense that she was a strategic error; in that while she excited the base she vitiated the line of attack that Obama was inexperienced. While she had more executive experience, she was clearly wanting in foreign affairs chops. Palin was excellent at the set speeches and rallies, but was wanting in the ability to respond thoughtfully to interview questions.

In the wake of Obama's victory on Teusday; the long knives have really come out. It will be interesting to see who will come to her defense. The steady drip of anonymous leakings have said that the Palins were like 'Wasilla Hillbilly's looting Nieman Marcus from coast to coast'. This cuts away her, "I'm just a soccer mom" persona.

The other leakings slash at her intellect; suggesting that she could not distinguish Africa as a continent and is unable to figure out what countries inhabit North America. This strikes me as more than just the typical finger pointing; she is being hobbled from running in 2012. There is a real fear among the moderates that she could end up as the standard bearer in the next election and would get hammered yet again; they are sparing no feelings in taking her down now.

In 1934 Hitler purged his own Brown shirts by having them killed. We have grown more civilized, but the virtual hobbling of Palin shows that ruthlessness endures. For all their talk about the viciousness of the elite media; Republicans are clearly masters of the game. They are furiously finishing what Tina Fey began.