And sorry, Republicans have lost most of their attack lines. The series of virtues Palin was supposed to bring to the ticket: She’s a reformer, a steadfast opponent of earmarks, a proponent of transparency and clean government. Subsequent reporting has revealed that Palin embodies the precise opposite of every one of these virtues. She appointed unqualified cronies, abused her power to punish personal enemies, and has displayed a Cheney-esque passion for government secrecy.

Game over. As the NYT said, ““the Palin effect” was, at least so far, a limited burst of interest.”