Veep Picks and Facial Tics

So, the big V.P. debate happened. Yippee. My impressions:

First of all, it seemed pretty much pro forma; nothing that was going to change any one's mind, one way or the other. Each candidate made a minor gaffe or two, and stuck to the predictable talking points.

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It says a great deal about the recent difficulties of Sarah Palin that her mediocre performance at this debate was hailed as a major triumph: At least she didn't have a Tina Fey-worthy moment! Never underestimate the power of lowered expectations.

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Do you think that, during debate prep, Palin was told to use the word "maverick" repeatedly? Good lord, she beat that word like a rented mule.

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Just how many of moderator Gwen Ifill's questions did Sarah Palin actually bother to answer? Certainly not too many; she was far more concerned with getting back to her prepared talking points.

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What was the deal with Palin's bizarre facial tic that has, quite charitably, been called a "wink?" She looked a bit like Diane Chambers of Cheers fame... Maybe this is a signal that Palin, too, needs to be "written out of the series?"

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Or maybe it was a signal to the far-right faithful that all this talk about reform and regulation is just talk. Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. Don't worry, oligarchs and plutocrats, once we're elected nothing will change. A nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat.

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One of the minor irritants in this election season is Governor Palin -- she, of the seven-figure net worth; she, who owns an airplane; she, whose RNC jacket cost more than I take home in a month -- referring to herself as "Joe six-pack." The woman's down-home appeal is about as credible as a celebrity rehab stint.

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But the single most telling (and frightening) moment of the evening for me was Palin's assertion that Dick Cheney is right, that the role of the Vice President is somehow constitutionally malleable to fit whichever investigation or whatever oversight you're currently attempting to dodge. The Constitution, as well as over two centuries of tradition and practice, gives the V.P. a very narrow set of duties: essentially, breaking ties in the Senate and succeeding the President, should the need arise. That's it. We don't need another "Imperial Vice Presidency." Good grief.