Why Republicans Fear Palin

It isn't only liberal democrats who run scared when they hear Sarah Palin is coming to town. Even those who agree with her hold deep reservations about voting for her. One shouldn't assume that all Palin-haters are crazy, mad-dog liberals.

I have heard many people express dislike for Mrs. Palin, including staunch Republicans open to consideration of almost any of the other major potential candidates (Jindal, Romney, Huckabee). Why is this? I haven't yet had the chance to interview any of these people in detail, but the stated concerns seem to fall into three major categories: inexperience, shrillness, and having a thin skin.

Inexperience: True, she might not have as long a record of high office as Mike Huckabee, but how much does one really need? Isn't competence more important? According to all accounts I've heard, she was very successful in bridging divides while fighting corruption in Alaska - and she continues to have a high approval rating there. I would much rather have someone who knows what she's doing than someone who has somehow managed to run his state into the ground year after year (Romney?). From my point of view, it seems strange that experience has become such an important issue for her candidacy, when the issue doesn't seem to come up that often otherwise. Is her inexperience somehow exceptional? Help me understand.

Shrillness: Others tell me she comes across as shrill and might not be the best spokesman for conservative values - especially during these divided times. As for myself, I haven't noticed, but I haven't been watching all that closely since the election. She doesn't seem at all shrill in her FOX News interviews. Perhaps it is a perceptual bias. After all, I thought Bush was much more eloquent and charismatic than both Gore and Kerry, but many Democrats say they disagree.

Having A Thin Skin: I have to admit, they might be on to something here, Maybe she saw something I didn't, but I hardly think that Republicans using the word "retarded" to refer to certain Democrats in any way should be taken as an insult to her son (who has Downsyndrome). How should Republicans describe Democrats? Stupid? Would that word be any less of a problem? With certain words banned from use, how can we communicate? Isn't this what the left does in the form of the PC police? Still, this may have been an abberation. I'm far from scared of her.

So, I still have yet to truly understand the Republican fear of Palin, but at least I listen to the arguments they make. She isn't too conservative, too liberal, or too female. She is inexperienced, shrill, and emotionally weak. At least, this is the way she is percieved. Could it be that Democrats who dislike her might also have something legitimate to add? Don't stop listening. Updates will follow.