Don't let this whole "was Palin thoroughly vetted?" question throw sand in the air and block the real issue.  The McCain campaign has been insisting continuously that Palin was thoroughly vetted--but this discussion of the quality of vetting is a distraction. 

If they had brought on a VP pick who was clearly qualified, had the appropriate chops and credentials, then would any reporter be wondering if she was vetted properly? 

No.  It's all smokescreen.  By taking the "we vetted her like every other candidate" tack, Schmidt and gang avoid having to directly discuss her qualifications. 

If you had a VP candidate who was vastly underqualified for the job, wouldn't you do the same?