Tinker,
You never disappoint me.
As I have said before, politicians and candidates are indicators of our culture.
The mob on both sides of the aisle demand larger than life candidates, presidents who are only too human, and the trivializing of people "on the other side" with whom we disagree.
We want our candidates to talk about "hope and change," "compassionate conservatism," or to be "the man from Hope!"
Then when they are in office, we want them to go on The View and talk about Snookie, talk about their favorite baseball/football/basketball teams, tell a story, look at pictures of them eating ice cream cones with their families, fly over an area hit by a flood or a hurricane, with a pained look on their face, then deliver a 20 second sound bite about the "horiffic scope" of "tragic disaster" and "human suffering," or talk about how the people we disagree with are treating them unfairly.
Human nature is ubiquitous. Palin and Obama are analogous because that those are the products people wish to buy. Both parties understand the marketing strategy. Emotions are not tools of cognition, but generating that emotional bond, or pulling on those heartstrings is crucial to winning the election.
As I have also said before, the sense of loyalty that people form to a particular "cult of personality" is fascinating. "I'm brand X and we are obviously morally and intellectually superior to those brand Y people over there!"
Now lets argue about whether Chevy or Ford makes the best truck.......
Who do you think would prevail in a fist fight? Ronald McDonald or the Burger King?