I'm interested in the similarities and differences between those two infamous individuals. Obviously, one a VP picked by McCain, the other a presidential candidate picked by himself and his uncomfortably ardent believers. But what about the core of anti-government sentiment "put me in charge of the government and I promise to destroy it?" The anti-intellectualism passing for candor and "plain speaking"? Large segments of the US voting populace willing to ignore qualifications in favor of "guts" to support a candidate who "speaks for me"?

To me, the most glaring distinctions are the level of anger, and where it's directed. Palin campaigned on a disgust for Washington -- Trump's only excuse for a platform is hatred for the "other" people both within and without our national borders. And say what you want about Palin (God knows I did): she was at least pretty stable in her peurile viewpoints -- Trump is pathologically volatile.