No, I don't know this. One person's informed critical opinion of a candidate's CV, is another person's "personal attack".
It's politics. In the US, it's a blood sport. That's not my preference, but that's the political reality. Under the scrutiny of a statewide election, O'Donnell withered like a cut flower in the hot sun. And, it was plainly predictable it would happen to anyone who gave her credentials an unbiased once-over.
If you want to be Senator, you have to have more than a winning smile, a firm handshake and a few throwaway lines. You have to have a resume that will hold up to scrutiny. She didn't.
In one sentence you say it's not an attack, in the next you admit it's a blood sport. I can handle blood sports, FRiend.
Part of what animates me is that Free Republic is, as Jim Rob is reminding us more and more often, a place where we are people on the SAME TEAM discussing how to further the Constitutional conservative movement. Now, there is plenty of room for disagreement there, but it sure would help if you could distinguish between disagreements among team members on strategy and arguments - especially personal attacks - between antagonists. Remember that we always have an audience here.
The lurkers matter. This is something I've learned well in my (relatively) short time here.