I apologize for my laziness, but I just placed the following on another string. It just seemed appropriate here.

One of the worst public speakers I ever knew was a French engineer/businessman. He would stumble over his notes, mispronounce names brutally and always looked like he was in total fear of the audience. however, behind closed doors he was without doubt the best negotiator I ever met, and rarely came away from the table (no matter how many parties were involved in the negotiation) other than with total success. Most people grossly underestimated him, and he took total advantage of their error.

This gentleman taught me a LOT many years ago (especially on how to turn perceived disadvantage into great advantage) and I will be forever in his debt. Many others are quite skilled at the technique of taking other's negative perceptions and reversing the tables. Gov. Palin seems to have mastered this skill, based on her track record versus her public persona.