The Palin selection has its benefits and its costs, which should be known:
One thought pushes fence-sitters to the left: Palin - St. Petersburg Times
There is no populist revolt of any sort in the US. We have a top-down political structure run by and for elites like McCain, Thain, & Bush ostentatiously gesturing populist. This gesticulation takes place in a public media run by and for elites. The Palin selection was one of those gestures.