Night of the Long Knives II...
Republican insiders (supposedly from the McCain campaign) have been piling on Sarah Palin in the press. Thus, we get this:

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Politics/Story?id=6196407&page=1

Of course, I consider the source. Even though they quote FoxNews extensively (I suppose so that disappointed republicans would believe the otherwise-unbelievable ABC), and I would also take into consideration that the criticism is both very petty, and lacking in context --- and always anonymous.

If I had to guess (with no evidence to support such a hypothesis), Sarah Alaska got under the skin of the Washington pros because she showed their man up. She has to be destroyed, and not only by a liberal media who hates everything she stands for and is, but by a consortium of political advisers and media consultants, et. al. whose playbook she has just torn to shreds. They're (the meida pros and political advisory class) used to plastic people -- politicians who understand that a campaign is all about image and marketing -- and when confronted by real people (we peasants) believe that we can do nothing right, that we know nothing, and that we have to be saved from ourselves. When we don't do what our betters tell us, we have to be vilified and condescended to, and on occasion, smeared, too.

The same process that is at work within republican party circles (i.e. assigning blame to everyone other than those who deserve it) is occurring here. Sarah Palin is about to be blamed for something she had no control over, and if the reports of discord within the McCain camp for months are accurate, was probably never included in to begin with. It was all inside baseball.

So far, the only thing these criticisms of Palin seem to zero in on are her wardrobe and shopping habits. I'm certain Hillary Clinton's people are criticizing her for her shopping habits, too. I wonder if Obama had lost, would anyone be taking Michelle Obama to task for her clothing?

If that's all they can point to when they try to substantiate the claim that Palin lost McCain the election, they are deadly wrong and extraordinarily nitpicky. Not to mention petty and craven. If we keep people like that around to run the next campaign, we'll certainly lose again, and deserve to.