In Time Magazine's article, "What the Troopergate Report Really Says," (link), it concludes something we might have expected, but was never talked about in those terms. Many of us saw the evidence coming forward, how officials at all levels of the Palin administration involved themselves in her quest to get Officer Wooten fired, and saw straight-up, purposeful abuse of power, a la Cheney. But I think this analysis from Time, that the Palin administration is "shockingly amateurish" may severely damage her 'executive experience' argument.
I think this analysis from Time makes a lot of sense, and can damage Palin:
But the Branchflower report still makes for good reading, if only because it convincingly answers a question nobody had even thought to ask: Is the Palin administration shockingly amateurish? Yes, it is. Disturbingly so.
[...]
A harsh verdict? Consider the report's findings. Not only did people at almost every level of the Palin administration engage in repeated inappropriate contact with Walt Monegan and other high-ranking officials at the Department of Public Safety, but Monegan and his peers constantly warned these Palin disciples that the contact was inappropriate and probably unlawful. Still, the emails and calls continued — in at least one instance on recorded state trooper phone lines.
[...]
Monegan consistently emerges as the adult in these conversations, while the Palin camp displays a childish impetuousness and sense of entitlement.
(Update: I highly recommend reading the whole article, its full of good material and quotes.)
This episode doesn't demonstrate purposeful Cheneyesque abuse so much as a level of inexperience and ignorance of rules that is frightening in a different way. In fact, it makes perfect sense that a mayor of a small town wouldn't have known how to handle the far-more complex and formal state-level administration and who would have wanted to run things her way and no other, the way she did in the far-less-formal Wasilla Mayor's office.
I think this is a narrative worth pushing. Even if the abuse of power charge itself is dismissed by her supporters, I can't imagine anyone disagreeing that the way the Palin administration conducted itself was far from proper.