"We never even got to hear the woman's opinions."
If you really believe that, then you haven't read any of her speeches or writings.
I think no one here has read more than cherry-picked fragments of them, most of which could be taken either way and many of which were contradictory. Why did no one want to give her a chance to speak for herself, as she is now? That's all I and many others were asking. I don't think I would have liked her, but I thought she should have had an honest chance because she was Bush's personal pick.
But once the pack started baying, there was no point in appealing to reason.