First, according to some stuff that has leaked, there were some truly vile threats made again herself and her family, including rape, even before she gave this speech.
Second, despite those threats, she chose to make herself the lightning rod. She put herself front and center and made the keynote argument for Kavanaugh. She basically told the left that if they were looking for someone on whom to focus their rage, she was it.
She could have just cast her vote, in relative silence and obscurity, as did most others. Instead, she very publicly stood up to the bullies and spoke her piece.
It isn't the same as storming Mt. suribachi, but for an old lady, that took a lot of guts.
Just had another conversation with an associate in Maine.
He believes that Collins just committed political suicide. She was only in at the will of a mostly blue electorate. One that views Kavenaugh as a white rapist.
For Collins to make this stand means that someone or something made her very angry. Angry enough to destroy her career and put her family at risk.