@atrupar @froomkin I do think Palin marked the arrival of the culture wars candidate. She had a poor grasp on foreign policy and the economy but excelled at pushing right wing populism. It didn’t work for McCain who needed to win over centrist voters. However, it did work in Republican primaries where it came to dominate. In a sort of self selecting way GOP activists have become more extreme and more intolerant of moderate voices. Trump tapped in to that sentiment.