Is Sarah Palin "far right"? Only to liberal elitists.

On Meet The Press Sunday, an all-elite panel composed of Vichy Republicans David Brooks and Mike Murphy, media liberals E.J. Dionne and Rachel Maddow, plus media liberal host David Gregory bashed Sarah Palin with the sort of relish we have come to expect from the Palin-obsessed usual suspects. Here's some of Ace's take on the slamfest:

Sarah Palin... is not "far right" ideologically -- she is solidly in the mainstream of conservatism.

As for the case that she is extremist in tone -- what on earth could they possibly be thinking of? I can only think of two things.

First, the "death panel" coinage, which is perfectly accurate and perfectly par-for-the-course as far as political invective.

Ace recalls Democrat rhetoric from the 1980s and 90s that Medicare reform would would put your grandparents on a cat food diet and put them out with the homeless to die in the streets. His second reason for the elites to try to paint Sarah Palin as a far-right extremist:

The other thing that comes to mind...  is that she alone dared to dared to... stand up and clearly declare that Barack Obama was incompetent, inexperienced, and utterly unprepared for the Presidency, and a left-winger to boot.

All that has now been proven by subsequent catastrophe.

Yes, in her RNC acceptance speech, Sarah's relatively mild criticism -- especially compared to what the Dems said about President Bush at their 2004 convention -- of then-candidate Obama so angered liberals -- "including liberals like David Brooks" -- that they will never forgive nor forget.

And that's liberals why they hate her so. It's not because -- as various pundits have opined -- because of her looks, her middle-class roots, her decision not to abort her Down baby, her mainstream college education or because she comes from fly-under country. They hate her because she had the guts and the integrity to stand up and tell the truth about Obama. In the Obama-worshipping religion of the elites, that is an unforgivable sin.

Read the full post at Ace's place.

Updates...

Even Pawlenty supporter Matthew Miller can see that these Vichy Republicans are not in touch with reality:

"I’m pretty obviously not a Palin supporter. Still, there’s something almost surreal about the comments of men like Murphy and Brooks. Sarah has her fans, they admit, but insist that this group can’t win her the nomination. They literally laugh at the possibility. But, again, where is the evidence? If such a sizable portion of the Republican electorate still likes and listens to Palin- after all of the negative press- doesn’t this suggest that she has more than a few vocal fans? I’m not convinced Sarah Palin will win the Republican nomination. I’m not even sure she’ll run. But, I am sure that the Republican establishment couldn’t find milk on a dairy farm."

Thomas Lamb remains unimpressed by Schmidt:

"When you pull out of Michigan the very night your V.P. nominee has her debate, this should tell people that this guy isn't too bright."

At The Tree of Mamre, another Screwtape Letter has been discovered:

Dear Steve Schmidt,

You don't know me, but I'm the one who got you your last job. Indeed, one could say that I am your current employer...

- JP