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You are assuming that it's normal, and to be expected, that rising politicians in Alaska accumulate enemies along the way, thus Palin's critics should be discounted. I can assure you that it isn't normal at all, and that the critics should not be discounted.
Ours is a small and isolated population, and we tend to know each other well. While there are spirited and sometimes fierce political debates, it's extremely rare that a legitimate political disagreements turn into personal animosity.
Look at Mark Begich and Ted Stevens. They are running very hard against each other, the stakes are very high, and they are respectful of each other. Maybe that's because no matter how that race ends up, those two and their families will continue to have to live with each other.
Your letter(s) seems to be a regurgitation of McCain-Palin talking points, and some claims are quite exaggerated and over-simplified. If you don't believe me, you can consult top officials in her administration on these questions. Example: While she -- like every single Alaska governor who has come before her -- vetoed certain line items that legislators proposed, Sarah Palin did not cut the budget. Under her watch, Alaska state spending has reached its highest levels ever, though there are arguably justifications for that. And while she sold off the Murkowski jet (as she should have), practically everybody else espoused the same plan. It's not like she came up with the idea all by herself; Frank Murkowski was the first and last Alaska governor to use state funds to get himself a personal jet, and everyone knew that it would be sold off no matter who was elected governor in 2006, as ALL the primary and general-election candidates (other than Murkowski) promised to do so.
Predictions here, from Republicans and Democrats and independents alike, is that Palin has now burned so many of her Alaska supporters and so distorted her own record that she will have a very tough time governing if she comes back.
Sarah Palin's history of accumulating enemies is a highly unusual. And it has nothing to do with her claimed good works, otherwise good-government/corruption-battling types like Les Gara and Jim Whitaker and Arliss Sturgelewski and Vic Fischer would also have long enemies lists.
It is also undoubtedly the case that any governor succeeding Frank Murkowski would be seen as a tremendous improvement. But in Murkowski's case, he has never been seen as two-faced. And I say this as someone who once admired Sarah Palin (and who still agrees with some of her policies) and who was always harshly critical of Murkowski. And in Frank's defense, his line-item vetoes were much, much gutsier (lonevity bonus, muni revenue sharing, anyone?) than Palin's.
