Takeover.

Steve Benen points out that Palin is taking over the ticket -

Yesterday, in the midst of a speech, Sarah Palin told voters about what they could expect from a "Palin and McCain administration." Seriously, there's video of it.

What's more, ABC News' Jake Tapper added that he's heard Palin refer to John McCain as her "running mate," a designation Tapper said he's never heard a "VP nominee use when discussing the guy at the top of the ticket."

And just to add insult to injury, Jonathan Martin reports that twice this week, he's noticed a fair number of people leave campaign rallies after Palin speaks, not sticking around long enough to hear what John McCain has to say. It happened on Tuesday in Ohio, and again yesterday in Iowa.

Not that I want to see this ship of fools elected, but I wonder how this plays out in a McCain Administration. Vice-Presidents are only as powerful as the President makes them. I always figured Palin would get a nothing portfolio. After all, McCain the warrior is not going to defer to girl in any Affair of State that matters. But what if Palin just steals the Presidency out from under McCain? This is a democracy after all, power, in the end, comes from popular support. So what if Palin has all the support? All the conservatives in Congress will support her over McCain. All the conservative institutions like talk radio and interest groups like the NRA and Pro-Life folks like her better. McCain may be end up like the old rich bugger who finds that his trophy wife is running the business.