In a November 5 Washington Post op-ed titled, “The GOP's Sarah Palin problem,” former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson wrote that Sarah Palin “seems increasingly indifferent to Republican fortunes and increasingly tolerant of disturbing extremism,” criticizing her endorsement of Colorado gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo. Gerson further stated that Palin's “approach to politics” is a “threat to the Republican future.”

From Gerson's Post op-ed:

O'Donnell and Angle were gifts of Sen. Jim DeMint and Sarah Palin to their party. Tea Party enthusiasm and shallow ideological purity were supposed to be better than outdated, “establishment” attributes such as achievement, wisdom or qualification. This approach to politics is expected of DeMint, who has gained national prominence by accusing his Republican colleagues of compromise. Coming from Palin, however, it is a threat to the Republican future.

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Palin's support for O'Donnell showed poor political judgment. But Palin went further, also endorsing Constitution Party gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo in Colorado, one of the most divisive figures in American politics.

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It was one of the best outcomes of Election 2010 that Tancredo was exiled from any position of public trust. But it is disturbing that Palin found Tancredo to be the "right man for the job." Her endorsement raises the question of whether Palin has any standards for her support other than anti-government rhetoric. Either as a power broker or a candidate in the 2012 election, Palin's increasingly erratic political judgment should raise Republican concerns.