She had a lot to overcome, yes, thanks to their hardball smearing tactics. The Rove attacks were beyond the pale, foaming-at-the-mouth, and even to this day they don’t miss an opportunity to take a shot or three.
There is no diminishing what they did to her, not just some locals here and there. It was vile, straight up. Of course, this is what they do to all who aren’t in their “club”. Standard operating procedure, i.e. Hermain Cain, Sarah Palin, DJT on a national level, but this also happens at the state level. Local levels vary, no doubt.
The GOPee has been giving Trump similar treatment for at least the last 18 months. They show no signs of stopping now.