Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin has been exceedingly popular with one demographic: comedians. Her limited media appearances have produced a steady stream of gaffes, and endless material for late-night television and Internet satirists. But last night, she managed to beat the expectations game: her hotly anticipated debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden produced no major flubs or flops.

For Republicans, that alone is a victory. And although some on the Web are having fun with her habit of winking, by most accounts she delivered a steady performance - even if most of those same accounts give the debate to Biden when it comes to substance.

Comic Paul Reiser blogs on the liberal "Huffington Post" that while Biden may have won the debate, "it's sad that ‘Hey, she didn't stink up the joint' is considered a great achievement."

And if the liberal bloggers can concede that, the conservatives have let out a huge sigh of relief. Some are ready to throw a party of their own for Palin.

"Palin was confident, assertive to the point of aggressive, knowledgeable, and open ... and Biden had no answer for Palin," writes Ed Morrissey at the conservative blog "Hot Air."

Also at "Hot Air," blogger Allahpundit writes that Palin's performance makes her a GOP presidential contender in 2012 if the Democrats win this year.

But the real losers last night were those late-night comics who may have to come up with some new jokes after weeks of free material personally provided by Palin. One parody even included one of her actual answers to an interview question. The debate didn't produce any such moments, her mannerisms are being dissected online, from her folksy speaking style to those winks she kept aiming at the viewers. Someone even set those moments to Neal McCoy's country song, "Wink."

And that wasn't the only musical "tribute" to Palin placed online this week. New York comedian Barry Mitchell did a cover of Katy Perry's pop hit "Kissed a Girl," except this one is called "Killed a Moose" and is sung from Palin's perspective.

 

The Alaska governor, of course, is famous for her moose-hunting skills. That of course is in addition to her apparent ability to see Russia from her home state, which provided a lasting image for the "New Yorker," also making the rounds online all week.

So while the debate may not have provided any lasting comic gems, there's already enough circulating to last at least until 2012.