Personally, I believe that it is much more important than that, I think that the 2008 Republican VP not supporting the Presidential candidate in his reelection to his Senate seat would make the entire Republican race of 2008 look like a failed sham that the GOP was trying to pull over the public's eyes, and I think that it would have halted the momentum that conservatives have built in recent months.
I believe that the general public would view Palin as shallow, unstable, and threatening, and also see the entire Republican brand in the same way, like they are in disarray and broken and most importantly, unstable and not ready to lead. Obama and the Democrats would be seen as the more stable and their win of 2008 would be perceived as the nation dodging a bullet that did not become known to the general public until Palin turned on the man that 60 million Americans voted for, for President.
I think that Palin has the reasons that you and others describe, but I also think that she sees the big picture and knows that the image that affects the vast general public will effect all of the conservative hopes for 2010, and that the general public does not see or want the same thing that the smaller number of us that despise McCain see or want.
I think that the media would have created an entire devastating narrative on the Arizona race that they would have used as a bludgeon against the Republicans and the Tea Parties and conservatives, and they would have buried Palin for good in an image of totally negative character and personality descriptions. It would all be incredibly ugly and while we here would see through it, the vast voting public would not, and that would effect all of our races nationally, and at the same time make Obama look like a beacon of stability and consistency.
Very astute analysis. I hadn’t thought it through to that extent, but of course you are absolutly correct.
Thank you.
Hank