That was not winking... She was just getting a lot of interference in her ear piece.

[texas1928]

The high pitch squeal was making her brain vibrate.

She was winking to keep the little she learned in her week of cramming from leaking out.

[grannie4peace]

1. that would explain the look on her face when she was winking

[CJCRANE]

2. She did appear to be wearing ear-pieces or ear-plugs

but they may have been to help her modulate her voice.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. If they were for modulation

They did not work. Nails on the chalkboard are better modulated than Palin at her most dulcit.

[paparush]

4. The ultra high frequency of her voice was interfering with the signal coming into the earpiece

creating a painful harmonic dissonance.