What an EXCELLENT post, Matchett. Re: your statement about Romney’s possible collaboration in the trashing of Sarah, do you have any evidence for it, or are you just speculating? I’m not challenging you—I just want to know the facts.
FWIW, probably people all with different motivations to achieve the same end. That said the question is still out there as to who most benefits from the smear.
I have no proof, but he appears to me to be the one who would benefit the most from taking her out. Some say that the culprits are his ex-staffers who went to work on McCain's campaign. If so, he could stop their rumor-mongering cold, if he wanted to. He hasn't.
He was always considered to be a RINO, but conservatives had a meeting with him after Thompson dropped out to get his assurance that he would be willing to carry our banner in exchange for our support. He agreed to do it, so got our support. McCain used Huckabee to split some of the evangelical vote away from Romney, and that sunk our chances right there, because it forced MCain down our throats. He would have lost in a landslide had he not picked Palin as VP.