Sarah Palin is being graded on a serious curve in the post-debate discussion and analysis. There were easily a dozen things in the debate (some specific and some running throughout) any one of which would be the subject of endless post-debate analysis and questioning of basic fitness for a normal candidate:

--Her frequent use of cue cards, especially on foreign policy, where she often seemed to be reading her answers word for word.

--Her ignoring questions where she didn't have a rehearsed answer ready, and using unrelated "verbage" instead, like answering a question about the bankruptcy bill by talking about energy.

--Confusing McClellan/McKiernan and misstating his views on applying the surge tactics to Afghanistan.

--Did she not come out for equal legal rights for gays? Anything short of marriage is ok, right? Is that really her position?

--Winking while answering the question about succeeding McCain.

--Her tone-deaf robotic non-recognition of Biden's emotional moment.

--We need a stronger VP? Really? Let's poll the American people on that and see how many agree.

--Her creepy, almost chirpy answer on nuclear weapons -- "the be-all, end-all of too many people." She's all folksy all the time, unable to convey a sense of gravity even on a topic like this.

--Botching McCain's position on bankruptcy and mortgage adjustments, as Eric pointed out this morning.

Well, it took a few days for the fact that Obama won last week's debate to penetrate the media narrative. So perhaps over the next few days the "Palin did ok" narrative will yield to reality also.