Senator John McCain takes pride in reminding American voters of two things that stick out in his United States Senate career:

1. He has always been a maverick; and

2. He was not voted "Miss Congeniality" by his peers in the Senate.

Well, his maverick ways will be in full view as it will be McCain – not Governor Sarah Palin – that will pick up the proverbial revolver Thursday evening as the vice presidential candidates duel in St. Louis.

To paraphrase Tina Fey, I know that the governor can "...see Russia from her house...", but there will not be any focus on Russian vodka, Tetris, or dangerous single-bullet gun play this week.

On Thursday night, Senator McCain will participate in a primetime version of Alaskan Roulette. What's that you say? ...Much like the Russian game of nerve (or, as many of us prefer to call it, idiocy), Senator McCain has watched his once-touted selection of Governor Palin come to this: a single-round, one-time shot for his vice presidential candidate to impress upon voters that she is the type of Washington outsider that can take the reigns (if needed) and fix a broken Washington, a broken economic system, and a broken American image across the world.

Unfortunately, she comes into this debate at a point where she is fixing a broken image, currently having a hard time convincing Americans that she is actually an elected official that has enjoyed high approval ratings in her home state.

The McCain campaign promoted her as the "hockey mom" that related to everyday Americans. Despite dealing with trying family situations recently, Palin pulled off a remarkable speech at the Republican National Convention with a delivery that contained wit, passion, fight and promise.

Since that time, however, she has come across less as the everyday American that has overcome adversity to achieve one of 50 highly-prized elective positions within our country. Instead, she sounds common, unenlightened, and overwhelmed, three characteristics that highlight McCain's age and previous health issues at a time when her presence on the ticket was supposed to project a younger, fresher image of reform and new direction.

To paraphrase Eminem in 'The Real Slim Shady,' Thursday night will be the opportunity for the real Sarah Palin to "...please stand up...please stand up..."

If she is incapable of salvaging the widespread American opinion about her qualifications and capability to lead this country if pressed into duty, Governor Palin's candidacy will be permanently painted with the same brush that conservatives dab Senator Obama's presidential run with: she will be seen for the remainder of this campaign as a politician that is blessed with oratory talent as long as she has a teleprompter in front of her, but once the lifeline (again, another Tina Fey reference) becomes unavailable, she lacks substance.

One potential flaw that McCain must bear during all of this is his campaign's approach towards preparing Palin for the national stage. Conservative columnist William Kristol noted that "McCain picked Sarah Palin in part because she's a talented politician and communicator ..." and that McCain must "...liberate (Palin) from the former Bush aides brought in to handle her..."

I agree.

At this point of time, bringing Bush aides to handle Palin is akin to hiring Ted Kaczynski to train your newest recruit on the SWAT team's bomb squad. If you do that and don't expect something to blow up, it's more of a reflection on the Human Resources department than it is on anyone else.

So, like some nervous protagonist from your favorite action movie, Senator McCain can only watch on Thursday and hope that Governor Palin makes the right moves and defuses this potentially-explosive situation for the campaign. If she pulls it off effectively, she may be able to pull in some of the undecided voters, women voters, and young voters that pushed the McCain-Palin ticket ahead in the polls after the Republican National Convention. In the process, she may be able to bait her opponent into a mishap himself (as he is prone to do on occasion.)

If Sarah Palin does not pull it off -- or, even worse, if she performs in a manner consistent with her two national TV interviews -- the trigger blowing a fatal hole in McCain's presidential campaign will be pulled.

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Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.