I think McCain's plans to withdraw Palin --pretty much at the last minute-- and replace her.  Palin is completely distracting everyone  from both McCain and Obama.  Palin may be a fundamentalist, secessionist whackadoodle, but that makes her perfect for this role.  Nearly all of the response to her nomination has been what the GOP could call "unfounded personal attacks" on her and her family.  To them and their followers, it is the same anti-female bias we showed against Hillary Clinton. 

I can see it now.... "poor Palin, and poor McCain, the vicious personal attacks from the partisan left were just too much.  If only the lefties had focused on her qualifications, they would have seen what a great woman she is, but alas, now we have to settle for Mitt Romney." The media will treat the replacement with kid gloves, and there will be no time left to mount the effective attacks we could have on McCain/Romney had he been the nominee originally.

We need to keep the focus entirely on McCain.  His choice has reflected his political need to pander to the fundies and women and he's put the needs of his campaign above the needs of America.  That's it.  Nothing else about Palin -- pretend she doesn't exist.  She's an unqualified nobody.  Doesn't deserve any attention at all.