Ladies and Gentlemen... The Neo-Know-Nothings

Believe it or not I sympathize with the GOP. I respect the Republican stance of smaller government. I respectfully disagree on issues such as Abortion Rights, Gun Control and think we can find compromises that acknowledge both sides of the issue. But racist and xenophobic rhetoric that Ms. Palin has been inspiring lately is a lot more like the Know Nothings than the GOP. What's going on here?