After her disastrous performances on the ABC and CBS news programs and after being parodied on Saturday Night Live, Republican Sarah Palin went into Thurday night's vice presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden badly bruised politically. The question on most people's minds was whether she would be able to avoid a total collapse, or would redeem herself.

Palin found her stride again, and in so doing showed why she remains popular with the great unwashed. She is not intellectually threatening, she is not politically sophisticated and she is not afraid of exposing her "aw shucks" roots.

And when she said in her concluding remarks that she much preferred speaking directly to the American people than having her comments filtered by the "mainstream media," she was, in effect, telling the so-called elites and others  disillusioned into thinking they are elites. "Stuff it!"

Palin did not fall flat on her face, did not embarrass presidential nominee John McCain and did not apologize for not knowing as much as Biden. What she did do is take a verbal walk down main street and connect with a whole bunch of people.

Palin had a good night. Just ask "Joe Six Pack."