You'd wonder why she didn't pass Charlie's Gibson's quiz with flying colors.

You think she didn't?  She did much, much better than I was expecting.

How did Obama get through his grueling interview with Charlie Gibson?

Obama interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5000184

How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to "win"?
How does your family feel about your "winning" breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor's [Clinton] speech?

Charlie Gibson didn't have time to get to these questions for Obama:

Why are you so indescribably wonderful?

Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?

Will you marry me?

Do you believe that the CIA had no involvement in the Iran-Iraq War where the US sided with the Iraq (led by Saddam Hussein) either?

Absolutely they did.

But it's important to note that we did not instigate it. Hussein attacked Iran after they overthrew the Shah ( we didn't have anything invested there(?)) and briefly was winning. His reasoning that they would be unorganized and vulnerable after the takeover. But when it became apparent that he was failing, we became involved under the pretense of trying to prevent further destabilization of the region. Doesn't hurt that we had just been tossed out ot Iran, and add in the hostage crisis under Carter ( who I don't blame for it occurring, but his handling wasn't so hot ). This is what eventually years later led to our insistence that IRAQ had weapons of mass destruction. We sold them to Hussein. However many had expired biologically, and he had actually complied with the U.N. resolution by the time we decided to charge in. He just couldn't figure out how to acknowledge that he had done this ( to the world ) and yet appear strong to IRAN at the same time. Painted himself into a huge corner.

That seems like a bit of a backhand compliment. Were you expecting her to do well and she was brilliant, or were you expecting her to tank and she was merely okay?

Wasn't meant to be backhanded at all.  I was expecting her to do pretty good and I think she did really well. 

Maybe I've missed it in this juggernaut of a topic, but other than a few posts ago, haven't seen much made of how Obama gets softballs and Palin gets rocks.

Hell, Obama had an interview with George Stephanopolous (sorry, probably spelled that wrong) who worked in the Clinton administration. Obama made a goof about his muslim faith and the interviewer jumped in to save/correct him.

Chris Matthews gets a 'tingle down his leg' when Obama speaks.

Keith Oberman said that Palin sounded like Tracy Glick from the movie "Election" right after her speech.

"Every politician does it" is probably not the best defense for someone who is running as a "maverick" and reformer from "business as usual" politics.  Not to mention someone who is running as change from President Bush.  Brings to mind the most egregious nepotism of the Bush era, Michael Brown at FEMA.  As others have pointed out, there are degrees of nepotism, too.  Favoring somebody over more qualified candidates is one thing, appointing someone with no qualifications whatsover is another.