Doug, you're partly quite right when you say that "I think Sara must really scare you lefties. Otherwise, why pay any attention to her at all?"

Yes, it's partly that she does scare many people on the "Left". Or the ideas she represents scare those people. In my case, I'd say it's the latter. Sarah herself doesn't scare me, but the philosophies she is attached to do.

But there's another angle too, Doug. One reason you hear SO much about Sarah Palin all the time on this forum is that the Democrats and what you (but not I) would call "the Lefties" are absolutely DELIGHTED and hugely gratified to have a despised target who is as noticeable as Sarah Palin at whom to hurl abuse, sarcasm, ridicule, outrage, etc...

"Everyone needs someone they can look down on." Democrats need Sarah!

She's the perfect target for all that bottled-up anger and resentment and utter contempt, as well as that killer instinct that percolates in most people's political consciousness. She makes the ideal enemy to attack and make fun of and loath utterly. She's God's gift to both the people who love her and the people who hate her. The press knows this very well, so they talk about her a lot. Comedians know it too, so they make fun of her a lot. Political cartoonists know it too, so they draw her a lot.   Sarah is cash in the bank for the mass media.

She's uber-marketable. She's a Democrat's dream (to attack) and a Republican's dream (to defend).

It's quite entertaining to watch. Much moreso than Pat Robertson, Al Gore, Rush Limbaugh, Obama, etc.

Trust me. People really want someone to hate. They thirst for it. And they want someone to love. Sarah Palin is very handy for all those people, because she is so spectacularly noticeable in her appearance, her spunky manner, her dramatic style, etc.

Chongo's been studying the whole phemomenon closely, hoping to strike a similar public nerve, but, as he says, "She's got one key advantage over me. She's a good-lookin' human dame. That is hard to beat in this society."

What I am thinking is that the Democrats need someone similar on their side...an outrageously "liberal" feisty female... so that you Republicans could have just as much fun both fearing and loathing her...and attacking her.

I'm thinking...Paris Hilton. Why not? Is she "liberal"? Probably. Perhaps she could be persuaded to go into Federal politics in a big way? More fun for everyone.

If she did, you could know the joy of having your own "Sarah Palin Punching Bag Doll" to obsess over and you could attack her daily in threads on Mudcat.