I also note that Republican candidates are either self-destructing (Gingrich) or just deciding not to run (Daniels, West, Trump, etc.) Sarah isn't in the race, but the media has so few real targets, that they are taking time from their busy schedule to trash a private citizen.
They fear her that much.
"Fear" is a funny word in this context. And "they" is hopelessly vague.
Do "they" (Obama's handlers) fear Sarah Palin as a potential opponent for Obama? No -- they're drooling for that. If Obama is going to get re-elected, they need an opponent like Sarah Palin, about whom they can make endless unflattering strawmen.
Do "they" (the media) fear Sarah Palin as a potential opponent for Obama? No -- not only are they complicit in supporting Obama, they live for the opportunity to destroy people, and where Sarah Palin is concerned they've been working on it already.
Do "they" (people like me) fear Sarah Palin as a Republican candidate? Yes -- the country literally cannot afford for the GOP candidate to be destroyed Goldwater-style, and that's what would happen if she were the nominee.
Do "they" (the political middle) fear Sarah Palin as a GOP candidate? Yes -- because they've been convinced that she's a nitwit and a harridan, and they don't want one of those as president. (It doesn't matter if she actually is those things: she's already been tarred with that brush).
There are plenty of other "theys" and plenty of other "fears."