I dont really get the point of such an article. There is nothing new in it. The conventional wisdom in it is conventional, boring and likely wrong. I guess it fills up column inches and people are highly interested in Gov. Palin, but then write something of substance about her.
I think you have to understand the source, and understand the intended audience. These are people know Palin only from the Tina Fey caricature. They are discovering, much to their shock and discomfort, that there's an actual, real, live, thinking, substantial, formidable political force there--an indomitable person who has not in any way been daunted by their derision, harassment and dismissiveness.
Now, they're belatedly trying to understand Palin and her political power. I'm not sure that they will entirely succeed.