The things that I find appealing in her besides the obvious ones mentioned before such as being unabashedly pro-military, pro-life and pro-domestic energy, is the degree of energy, independence, and assertiveness that she displays.
Plus, I view the fact that she's able to pick up a weapon, is not only not intimidated by it, but can use it to shoot a moose which she would then butcher and bring home meat for her family. It's obvious to me that this is not a populist fabrication by her “handlers”, but is who she is and what she does.
Funny, I saw this photo during the campaign where she was talking to the president of Colombia, and this Photoshop I did was what popped into my head immediately upon seeing it:
I find it amusing that people label her with the “populist” label. Sarah Palin is probably the closest thing to a real live honest-to-goodness middle-class person that has been included on a presidential ticket in a long, long time… it is interesting to see the same people that hammer George W. Bush for his Ivy League education hammer her for her unsophisticated education.
Just goes to show, politics crosses all kinds of boundaries…