Do you need a Ph.D. to describe all the messes that we have accumulated since FDR and the New Deal? We can trace the majority of the country's problems to rat initiatives. How about the economy and the Wall Street meltdown? Can you say the Community Reinvestment Act, Acorn and Obama? What about Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare? Who stopped drilling for energy?
McCain, with his generally populist rhetoric, does nothing to change this. And Palin only further continues the trend.
Those are two different types of populism that appeals to different segments of the electorate. The appeal of Palin is that she counters the cultural marxism afflicting our country since the 1960s while at the same time attracting small 'l' libertarians and a bunch of women just because she's a woman. Give Palin some time. Who says she's not a quick learner?
No, which is why it's all the more disappointing most Republicans since Gingrich have failed to do it (or do it and convincingly articulate solutions).
I'm willing to give Palin time and I think she certainly shows some promise, but the fact that she needs this time demonstrates that she isn't really ready for the position. Then again, McCain felt he needed to take a gamble given his political position at the time and a Pawlenty et al just wouldn't have done it.