So what Republicans have gone public against Palin? Steve Schmidt, this Baucus guy I never heard of, Rove, Murkowski. Pretty weak lot.
The GOP Establishment had a rather large, behind-the-scenes, organized chatter session on how to immediately start taking out Sarah Palin after the midterm elections, first by working to nullify any credit she might be assigned for any victories, and then by portraying her as polarizing and unelectable. Few names were released (maybe 10-11 that you've read about), but word of the unofficial strategy session got leaked to some members of the press, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Erick Erickson, among others.
Rush Limbaugh mentioned it on his show, and then later read an article from one of those who got word.
The buzz phrase was “Stop Sarah Palin Week.” That was what they were calling it, and that is the title that got leaked. Quickly, some lefty bloggers took up that title, too, in the hopes of finding strange bedfellows with whom to take down Sarah Palin. Kos was the most notable one; but that title was apparently a GOP creation.
Immediately after the election, polls were released showing Romney and/or Huckabee ahead of Obama, and Palin behind. A couple of polls made a point to only poll blue states in the GOP Primary race, showing Romney as the clear front-runner, while leaving out South Carolina, among others.
The words “too polarizing” could be heard about Palin from every single GOP pundit who was going over the list of contenders on any show. “Too polarizing,” “can't win,” “is the reason the GOP doesn't control the Senate,” and “is better for us doing what she's doing” could be heard with such perfect consistency that it was like actors reading a script from the same play while performing in different cities.
Huckabee and Romney started making the rounds, and surrogates/supporters started touting them while dismissing Palin with those aforementioned buzz phrases. Supporters of Palin were curiously not invited onto any of these shows, and no contrary opinion on her electability, et al, was entertained.
Even FR and Conservative blogs/sites were immediately astroturfed with folks on every thread talking her down, using those same talking points. It suddenly peaked on Monday and has been especially prevalent since.
Even the Wall Street Journal tried to get into the act, though Palin busted them for contradicting themselves on food prices. Red State helped show their error.
To sum it up: “Stop Sarah Palin Week” is an organized effort, created by insiders, propagated by surrogates of other candidates and Establishment GOPers, spread in earnest by GOP members of the media, and picked-up by lefty blogs and organizations hoping to join the assassination attempt. The Journolisters were quick to take action as well. It is an all-out attempt to unload on Sarah Palin, relentlessly, for at least all of this week, using every means, medium, talking point, astroturfing tool, media outlet, and blog they can to try and inflict a mortal wound. They are hoping the sheer volume and consistency of their memes will be effective enough to plant enough seeds of doubt in everyone’s mind that they will stop considering Sarah Palin as an option for 2012. This week is a big test for them, because it is going to give them a measure of how much damage they can do with a 100% concerted effort and every weapon in the arsenal firing.
Rush unloaded on these guys, and I am glad that he did. It is time to circle the wagons, and fight back.