Does the rise of Sarah Palin signal the death of the meritocracy in US politics?

[mdfalco71]

Or has that ship alread sailed somewhere in the last eight years?

Just wondering what people think, based on this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080921_The_American_Debate__Populism_gone_wild__ Palin_latest_example_of_push_to_mediocrity.html
Granted folks, I think you're right that her star is sinking rapidly, rather than still in the ascendancy. Just wondered what people thought.