"Maverick." Right.

"But... he's a Maverick, see..." Thus the mantra of Sarah Palin's desperately stupid time-wasting fake answer when pressed by Katie Couric (!) to explain how a candidate who had spent his entire career pushing for deregulation was suddenly a regulatory champion. Sides with Bush on over 90% of all votes for the last 8 years? Changed his stance on every meaningful issue in order to court the GOP/Fundamentalist base? Named a running mate with no qualifications, just to re-assure said Fundamentalists? Adopted not only the same campaign strategies, but the same campaign personnel that he decried as "evil" and "intolerant" just two campaigns ago?

Right. Maverick.