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I think allot of us are not saying that she "earned" the right to her opinions, rather that everyone has the right to participate in the public sphere without being attacked based upon their race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, etc.
Attack her on the issues, one of which is her ridiculously pinheaded religious extremism, not the fact that she is an attractive woman.
By the way- I share your alarm over the increasing influence that religious zealots weild in Washington. Chrisitan zealots are far more terrifying than Muslim zealots to me because many more of them are far closer to home.