[sauropod]

Except that no one could have imagined an upset like Palin

I was certainly aware of her before being picked for the Veep spot. Word on the street was that she was (and is) a solid conservative.

[Albion Wilde]

Many of us were aware of her. Few could have predicted that she would provide the ray of hope for conservatism in the context of the 2008 elections, which is the topic of the essay.