Modernman,I disagree with your characterization of her as a lightweight.
Many conservatives appreciate and like her, because she has shown the appropriate way we need to deal with liberals.
In the past, Conservatives have gotten their clock cleaned in the court of public opinion, and have ceded the high ground to the liberals because we didn't want to be mean to them, offend them, or cause them to label us.
We never challenged them on thier policies towards the poor, because we were afraid they would label us "racist" and call us "mean spirited".
We never challenged their patriotism or love of country, because we didn't want to be "McCarthyites".
We never called them on their economic policies, because they would label us "The Party of the Rich" and accuse us of being in bed with corporate America.
And for all those years, they walked all over the conservatives, and we let them through our own weakness. We were too timid to speak out on behalf of our own beliefs, to point out the truth that the economic policies of the Democrats have damned generations of minorities to a lower standard of living. We were too nice to point out whose policies are really racist.
We were too polite to point out that the left in America is the party that has aligned itself with dictators and communist governments around the world and was responsible for some of the worst damage done to this country.
It has been long past the time for conservatives to stand up up to the left. Ann has shown us the right way, speak the truth, back it up by facts, and forget about whether they "like" us or not. They don't, so we better just get used to it and do what is right.
Ann Coulter is no lightweight. She may not be on the same level as Krauthammer, Schalafly or Will, but she is sharp, knows how to back up her arguments with facts, and isn't afraid of being called names.
That is why conservatives like her, not because she is an sinewy lanky hard looking blonde woman with a razor for a brain and a talent for being impolite to liberals by telling them the truth, something they don't want to hear. Those characteristics are just icing on the cake.
You are exactly right. She trades insult for insult while so many conservatives are in a state of status panic trying to look like nice guys.
I love Ann because her brain is like a roladex of information. If someone says A she counters not only with B, but about 10 bits of fact to validate it.
She is incredible. She doesn't just bite back, but there are fact based fangs in that mouth!