Moderate Republican (and Palin-scorner) David Frum has a shot at answering that question.
His five reasons are that she polarises (and thus provides fodder for a media that favours conflict), she surprises, she reveals herself (her life is a reality show), she talks unlike a politician, and she provides all the fun of the circus:
On the ground is a poodle performing a stunt. Above the clown’s head, dangling from a thin wire, is a piano. The piano is teetering, tottering, looking as if at any moment it might slip, crash to earth, and crush the dog. Impossible not to watch, right? And that’s the Palin show, only this time with the party of Lincoln as the little dog, and Sarah Palin as the piano.
I think this is pretty good but he misses out at least one very important factor: her looks. Truly attractive politicians, of either gender, are few and far between. The camera loves Palin, as do magazines; the media can't keep our eyes off her. And although I don't have the data to hand, I believe her support is far stronger amongst men than it is amongst women.
Another thing to note is that she's an astute marketer, who uses social media well and knows how to drop compelling memes into the culture; "mama grizzlies" being a brilliant example.
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