Sarah Palin is no intellectual, nor does she admit to be, but she is very intelligent in that she knows how to handle the media and many of them fall into her traps more often than she falls into theirs (Couric). She is a woman who knows who she is and can define herself and stand apart from many others in the field because of this heightened awareness of her own character. And that plays in politics far more than knowing if Poland is dominated by the USSR or how to pronounce "nuclear." Just ask Reagan and Bush- they were both known well for gaffes and stupid sayings but persevered.
She is seen as more conservative than others primarily because that's how she wants to be seen. What other 2012 conservatives are as willing as Palin to be seen as a tea partier? She's smart enough to take risks- and while that cements her being labeled as a hardliner conservative- it garners tons of media attention. The nomination comes before the general and she is as on track as anyone to win it.
What planet are you on? The woman can't give a coherent interview. She struggles for facts and always falls back on campaign slogans instead of substantive content. toward the end of the 08 campaign she stopped doing interviews after tanking so badly with the first few. What makes anyone think she could perform any better in 2012. The woman runs around saying You betcha! LMAO. I never saw Hillary at a loss for words in an interview she could always draft her postion and I'm sure she could tell someone what publications she is fond of without stuttering.