But the Palin nomination is not basically about external realities and what Democrats call "issues," but about the symbolic mechanisms of the political mind -- the worldviews, frames, metaphors, cultural narratives, and stereotypes. The Republicans can't win on realities. Her job is to speak the language of conservatism, activate the conservative view of the world, and use the advantages that conservatives have in dominating political discourse.

In other words, state of the art marketing strategy--something the Dems have been slow to grasp, on the whole.

George Lakoff: The Palin Choice and the Reality of the Political Mind