In the first few days after the Palin pick was announced and the cascade of stories about her past grew, the expectations about her convention speech dropped, seemingly by the hour. Someone wrote that her speech would be viewed as successful if she avoids spitting up on herself. As we know, she delivered the speech with much bitchiness and sarcasm with most pundits saying she "energized the base". (As a side note, if the speech she gave at the convention did indeed energize the base, then the base is pretty lame, I mean, seriously!).
So in the past few days she has made several major gaffe's, the Katie Couric interview standing out, as well it should.
Just as it happened prior to the convention, expectations have dropped sharply ahead of this weeks debate, to the point that if she avoids spitting up on herself, many will judge her debate a success. James Fallows mentioned this earlier today too: http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/09/the_looming_problem_for_biden.php 
I suppose you just have to shake your head at all of this. Obama was absolutely correct during the debate, our standing in the world IS low and it's because of Bush & Co.
With McCain and Palin in office, we would become the laughing stock of the world. We will get the president we deserve, I just hope we deserve an intelligent, even-tempered president and not an unhinged idiot.