I am going to go against the grain and say that Palin was chosen for VP, knowing it would drive the Hillary voters back into the Obama camp.
Pretty sure that was the idea and it horrified them when she nearly put them ahead in the race. They were supposed to lose. Palin energized those same voters that Trump later brought out that were sick of the corruption of both parties.
That was when Nicolle Wallace was dispatched to sabotage Palin.
I was thinking about the Palin nomination just the other night. Maybe it was two-fold. Drive the on the fence, liberal-leaning woman away and also drive away some men as well — those who still don’t think women should be allowed to vote, keep ‘em barefoot and pregnant types.