shouldn't it be a dead donkey, seeing as how it's the liberals getting completely squashed by the vp pick out of left field?

Actually, I think the cartoonist was trying to indicate that Sarah Palin's many blunders that have surfaced in the news will mean the death of the Republican Party's chances this election. She has made McCain look like an idiot. Who can trust a candidate who takes less than 5 minutes to research and select a sketchy VP candidate? (see the other Palin cartoon from earlier this week)