Palin has no chance. I mean, there's enough rednecks and blind conservatives out there to get her through the primaries but she will get eaten alive after that. And trust me, I really dislike Obama, but I think she would be fed to the wolves in a debate against him simply because she's so naive.
People hate on her because it's too easy, not because they're afraid of her or don't like her. She's just a total dumb crap.