The Republican's Palin Problem

CNN's Gloria Borger reports that the Palin fatigue is setting in. The ex-Beauty Queen and half-term governor of Alaska appears to have overstayed her welcome. It's a good article.

Washington (CNN) -- OK, you've got Palin fatigue. Not to worry. So does much of the country: The latest CNN poll shows that 56 percent of Americans view her unfavorably.

More damaging, though, is this: Sarah Palin's unfavorable rating among women has gone up 10 points. And 59 percent of those all-important independent voters don't like her -- and that's up a stunning 14 points in just a few months.

You might argue it's because of the debate surrounding the Tucson shootings -- specifically, Palin's tone-deaf response to the unfair charges that she was somehow responsible for a deranged shooter's state of mind. And that could well be part of it. But there's more: She's completely overstayed her welcome.

We've watched her morph from the hockey mom into a multi-media extravaganza that knocks on our door every day to sell something, without any invitation.

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Her staunch supporters are still there, to be sure, but Republicans are getting antsy, even nervous. In GOP circles, she's beginning to be seen as toxic in any presidential race. The whispers (which have always been there among the establishment) are starting to become public.

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GOP presidential contenders may be trying to wait and see if she runs. (Why alienate her followers for no reason?) Or, they would love to see someone take her on -- like a Mike Huckabee, for instance -- with the understanding that the candidacy could become sacrificial. So who is going to sign up for that?

Not many. The hope for some Republicans is that Palin will literally tweet her way out of our hearts. The books, the reality TV, the family psycho-dramas, the never-ending internet "thought bubbles" could just be enough to drive even those who like her over the edge. And, sure, we in the press are part of this uber-coverage, behaving as if every 140-character thought is worth some conversation. It isn't. As Erick Erickson, the editor of the conservative RedState.com and a CNN contributor, told me, it's not really about what Palin has achieved. "By 2012," he says, "people are going to be so tired of her they're going to want to avoid eye contact. It's not fair, but it's reality."

I think Gloria Borger has nailed it. Palin is past her "Use by" date. It's really about time.

A recent example of Palin aversion among conservative was the announcement Friday, 4 February, that she would be the keynote speaker for the Patriots & Warriors Gala on May 2 in Glendale, CO which was to be put on by the Sharon K Pacheco Foundation. Saturday the entire event was canceled. ^** The organizers blamed an "onslaught of negative feedback." Law enforcement in Colorado has no reports of the alleged "threats" that were cited as the reason for canceling the event or the Sarah Palin appearance.

I suspect that the Tea Partiers as a group will shortly approach the same kind of expiration date as their repeated failures in Congress become clear to the public.