“Reagan had far more critics than Palin. He also had only the big three media outlets in which to communicate with, not the plethora of outlets that are available to Palin...”
The ‘plethora of outlets’ work bothways.
I lived through the Reagan era, and I do not remember it being the way you are saying. Yes, Reagan had many critics, but the critics of Palin are legion, owing largely to the multitude of new venues for leftist vitriol. And Reagan was not above pushing back, though he had a stylish way of doing it, unlike Bush, who allowed himself to disappear into the caricature of him created by the left. Palin is, I believe, looking at Bush as a lesson learned, what NOT to do, and is strategically counteracting those missiles that can do damage to the conservative brand if left unanswered. It is, in part, that street fighter in her that stirs such loyalty among her supporters. We know the good cause she’s fighting for, that she means business, and that she has a better chance than most of winning that fight. She is the American Braveheart. Especially after the Madison speech.