Sarah Palin's Appearance on SNL a Huge GOP Disaster
Sarah Palin joined SNL tonight and proved, once again, that John McCain lacked judgment in having her on his ticket, while also unwise not to veto her SNL appearance. In isolation, Palin's very brief moments were not, in themselves, the problem. The problem was largely contextual.
Consider, for example, the respective experiences of two groups watching SNL tonight: conservative members of the GOP, on the one hand, and young voters who McCain might have hoped to attract to his failed campaign on the other.
Without Tina Fey, this was Saturday Night Dead and there was nothing worth seeing but more nails being indirectly pounded into the GOP coffin.
Josh Brolin hosted, reporting that in learning to play W, he concluded that neither W, nor he, should ever be, or have been, president.
Then in sketches and in "Weekend Update," viewers were reminded of the deep economic difficulty the country finds itself in, and we all know what good the economy has done for John McCain's candidacy. Thus, over and over, viewers were reminded of McCain's biggest problem, besides Sarah Palin.
Then, no viewer could be sure when Gov. Palin would appear after the traditional SNL welcome. One could think she *might* appear on "Weekend Update," but one watched with heightened attention early on wondering if she might appear in one of the ever more artless sketches.
She didn't, and showed appropriate restraint, I suppose, in letting just her arms dance about while remaining seated in her chair during someone else's inane rap. But prior to this, millions of viewers were exposed to one sophomoric (naw, make that 5th grade) sketch where the word "fartface" was repeated perhaps 100 or more times, and another about a guy who would shoot a ping pong ball from his rear end.
I just can't imagine very many members of the Christian Right, to whom Palin appeals and who might have been checking in to see how their darling was doing, enjoying these words filling their living rooms tonight. Then Palin was compared to Dan Quayle in one otherwise forgettable moment, and for those of us old enough to remember, we were reminded of conservative Justice Clarence Thomas' alleged one-time interest in pornography. Trust me, no helping hand of any kind was extended to Palin or McCain.
After all, this is Saturday Night Live who've skewered her week after week. Were they going to be nice? And now, by appearing on the program, it certainly drew its biggest audience of the season. Maybe the biggest audience in years, but I fail to see how the GOP was helped.
Often these cameos on SNL humanize a candidate in some helpful way. A candidate will often seem like a good sport by going on. Al Gore was wonderful after the debacle of 2000, but he appeared after finally conceding and when it was all too late. He was funny and very human. But we already know Sarah Palin can sometimes display humor and be human. But tonight, SNL gave us another piece of evidence that Gov. Palin's judgment, and that of her running mate, may not be what we want guiding the nation and the world for the next four years.
Cap all this off with the toughest, and most incisive Obama ad I've yet seen, with McCain helping to bury himself with the perfect soundbite linking him ever more closely to Bush ("I voted with him over 90% of the time, more than some other members of our party" or words to that effect) and you've got another bad day or two for the GOP, and maybe more depending on how long people talk about tonight's debacle. He just doesn't have the time to keep making mistakes like this and get off message. The clock is ticking with just 16 days left before the election, and more and more voters this year are casting their ballots early.
I just shook my head in amazement tonight as the Obama ad ran and thought, man, the Obama campaign doesn't miss a trick placing that particular ad where they did, while the McCain campaign misses nearly every one, and does sometimes seem to be run by those who would wish him to lose in November.
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The biggest joke on Palin was her opening skit. Tina Fey held the only press conference that Palin has had in her VP bid, and mocked her openly for it. Palin even participated in that skit, announcing (as herself) that she "would not be taking any questions".
Could Palin nor her handlers see that the worst aspect of the appearance was highlighting her inability to handle a basic press conference? Didn't they notice that the only compliments she received were on her looks? Standing next to Fey, she looks much older and dumpier than her pretty doppleganger, and not nearly as intelligent.
It was brave of her to venture onto SNL after being soundly mocked for weeks, but the forum only served to highlight her lack of qualifications for the VP.
She makes a decent celebrity, but a terrible nominee. Isn't that what McCain tried to say about Obama back in July?
The thing is, what about the McCain/Palin ticket HASN'T been a disaster?
Everytime I watch the news now, it reflects the increasing polarization of America by their campaign. FOX News and all the conservative pundits making up poll numbers, or confining their polls only to those who agree with McCain. MSNBC and the "left" media railing against the stupidity of the McCain campaign.
McCain, McCain, McCain. Perhaps all the negative press is just a ploy to get them in the spotlight? Negative attention is certainly better than no attention, just ask any actor.
And given all this, what is the true tragedy of the situation? That's easy, that despite all the problems, including poor judgement, divisive policies, no knowledge from either Palin or McCain on actual issues that those offices have to deal with, etc., there are still people in this country who BELIEVE them. And not just their skewed reality, but also the blatant lies. And McCain does absolutely nothing to correct it.
All I know is I don't want people even MORE incompetent than the current administration taking over. McCain and Palin don't even agree on the focus of their campaign, and I guess it figures, given all the outrageous talk of Palin running for President in 2012. I mean, is FOX News serious? If Palin runs, and wins against someone like Hillary Clinton, then the Mayans were right and 2012 is the year the world comes to an end.
i'v got good news and bad news... bad news first: it's going to get far worse before it gets better.
good news...the end of the mayan calendar in 2012 represents a new beginning and evolution for humanity (those who survive).
we all know something isn't right and we're very nervous . . . we feel it in our bones (those of us, that is, living in the world or facts and reality) here's the explanation and you'll know it to be true upon reading it. pay close attention to the metaphors:
I loved watching Sarah Palin bop her head and wave her arms in support of the SNL gansta rap routine, which glorfied the the use of guns and violence and the use by Amy Poehler of her hand to symbolize a pistol. Playing Palin, Poehler not only shot the moose and then boasted of laying waste to another "dead animal," but ended the routine by repeatedly shooting the pistol next to an approving Palin in a way most associated with Black rappers and gangsta rap. Seems like Palin and her supporters have more in common with this demographic than anyone knew.
Unfortunately, Sarah Palin played very well here in Florida. Especially with Hillary Clinton supporters.
All the female bashing is only helping her in this state. I wish we can just run a pro-Obama campaign
and skip the negative advertising and editorials. And we might actually win Florida! If not, I am afraid
the Republicans will win as usual.
LOL. Unlike SNL, this is funny. Are you from The Onion?
are you from the Drudge Report?
That's funny, because Obama is well ahead in Florida, especially among women. Palin's appearances there have served to lower her approval ratings, and she has especially turned off Jewish voters.
Your little anecdote runs counter to the empirical evidence that Palin hurts McCain more in Florida than anywhere. Even worse, she seems to have turned McCain's former BFF, Gov. Crist, into someone indifferent to McCain's political future and uninterested in getting Florida's EVs into McCain's hands.
florida's republican wired with proprietary software -- no democrat will EVER win florida irrespective of the voters intent
Obama doesn't need Florida to win at this point. Thank goodness it's not up to Florida, again!
Do you call bashing Bush, man-bashing? Call it what it is, Palin bashing and Clinton bashing. If they can't take what the men take in a campaign, then they shouldn't be there. And both of them gave even better than what they got. It's sexist to extrapolate criticism of two women to ALL women. We aren't all the same, and Palin and Clinton represent themselves, not ALL women.
PALIN IS A MASSIVE DISTRACTION. We have got to get pass her and focus on the job at hand. Promptly end the Iraq war, work towards universal health care, regulate the excessives of Wall Street where necessary, negoiate when appropriate and without fear, educate our children, don't take chances with Social Security, Get us working again, Elect Obama. NO MORE DISTRACTION. Let us re-dedicate ourselves to the task. Call voters in the battleground states. Do something positive.
"...and does sometimes seem to be run by those who would wish him to lose in November"
Whichever one is elected is going to face a particularly daunting set of problems. I think McCain realizes this and is doing or allowing to be done anything to kill his election prospects.
This man is a genius making it appear he still wants the job but secretly sabotaging his campaign.
Of course there is also the possibility that he can't walk and chew gum simultaneously.
Whatever.
Zwackoo! You are a genius! How did the rest of us miss this???
I've also thought for a while that McCain was throwing the election to Obama.
He must be angry at the religious right..and yet he has Plain on his ticket? and all the lobbyists working in his campaign....
The whole thing smells fishy to me.
And few people are commenting on this extreme lack of judgement ..with McCain making strange faces at times when he would be heavily photographed...and saying odd things.
What does it mean if McCain is throwing the election? Who is in control of the US? is this just McCain's decision ? or the decisions of others?
God help Obama. I hope once elected that he will be able to carry out programs that will help America, it's people and the world.
weird and scary times
it's desperation: he wants the precious.... he needs it.
I'm no fan of Palin, nor am I voting for McCain, but cut the girl a break. Of course I was secretly hoping for some sort of Couric interview-like bomb or gaffe, to keep "my side" looking better, but she did all right.
I understand that this is a campaign, so everything a candidate does is strongly colored by a person's political view of them, but I haven't heard of anyone trying to take Phelp's medals away from him, and from what I understand, he was awful. She was actually kind of fun.
To expect her to act and improvise as well as Amy Poehler or any other SNL great is ridiculous. That's not her job. She did just fine, and her white girl moves made me smile.
Great job to her for doing her best.
Thank you for talking sensible.
agreed. and I'm staunch supporter of Obama and Biden. I enjoyed Palin on SNL. Actually she probably has a better chance in Hollywood than in politics.
I would watch a reality show on Palin's home and work life in Alaska. The Osbornes meets Northern Exposure with more dysfunctional characters.
I'm sorry, but absolutely nothing about this racist homophobic fundamentalist divider makes me smile.
huh? Palin, just interviewed in Colorado, argued that it is the VPs job to run the Senate, and get in their with lawmakers and make substantive change. Does the Constitution concur with her? Uh, not so much.
Any person that unknowledgeable is dangerous. We should cut her some slack--on her canoe as it sails back to Alaska.
All the MSM's pundits are out there talking about how she's a force to be reckoned with in 2012, but they can't coach her up enough, ever. She'll never be president. Period.
Maybe you missed the first part of my comment, so I'll bring it back for you: I'm not voting for McCain and am no fan of Palin.
When I said cut her a break, I didn't mean that I was convinced by her head-bopping and roof--raising that she's suddenly qualified to run the free world, or even be a VP. I meant cut her a break as a decent human being who was gutsy enough to appear on live television and mock herself.
Don't worry, allowing yourself to step back from the thick of it and smile a little won't automatically give the other side a win.
You can have a sense of humor WHILE maintaining your political beliefs.
geez.
The truth is that pretty women make men smile, no matter who they are. It's all but involuntary. She doesn't deserve a break because she does that however!
Another point. Palin has been acting for weeks now, so she's quite used to it.
And this is the woman who is vying for the second most important job in the world - that of the Vice-President of the United States of America. She doesn't have time or simply doesn't want to talk to the press about the issues and why she thinks she is the best person for the job, but she can go on SNL - A comedy show? I was insulted before, now I am livid at the audacity of John McCain to think that I as a woman would automatically vote for Palin because she is a woman. She has not shown me any reason at as to why I should vote for their ticket nor as she told me what she can do for me. Instead this is what I get!!! SNL!!!!
I just want to say, as a Marine Corps veteran, HOW DARE Sarah Palin suggest that I don't love my country. I was willing to die for my country. What have you been willing to do for your country Miss AIP?
Palin never met a camera she didn't like. But this has a long history - does anyone remember Richard Nixon appearing on Rowan & Martin's Laugh In? His line: "sock it to me". Unfortunately he didn't dance.
I remember that! A LONG time ago.
Sarah Palin's Appearance on SNL a Huge GOP Disaster
Sarah Palin's Appearance on SNL was a Huge GOP Disaster. Actually her total appearance on the republican VP ticket is a total disaster. Politics, politics, politics.
She continues to be tragically unfunny. She appeared on SNL only because of her vanity. She thinks that she is beloved by the "real" americans.
She only sees her base - except for throwing the puck down which the music drowned out.
You got that right!
Hello everyone, I am a proud democrat who have only one concern, and that is the future of my family and loveones. The republican canadate John Maccain doesnt give a hoot about me and my family. He voted with Bush 90% of the time and never cared about the middle class before. Now all of a sudden he cares, "please" its just politics as usual,say what he can to get in office, then when he get their turn his back on us and cater to his buddies,the oil companies and other cooporate giant. John Maccain only chose Sara Palin as his running mate because she can be controlled by him. Why else would he choose a running mate that cant even answer a simple question about what kind of books she reads. Maccain would have been better off choosing Joe Leiberman or Joe the plumber as a running mate. My 6 year old son have a better understanding of American history than Sara Palin. Oh by the way Mr. Maccain, since you seems to address everybody as your friend, I might be evicted from my place soon. Can i stay at one of your thirteen houses? after all what are friends for.
Look ... I'm an Obama precinct captain and totally in the tank for Obama but I think many of the pundits are being too hard on Pali's SNL performance. I think it was a net gain for her -- a) she showed up and that's worth a lot, b) she seemed comfortable on camera in this setting, c) she delivered "live from New York, it's Saturday Night" very well, and d) her dance moves were pretty good and the rap song, contrary to this article, was awesome (the lyrics are hilarious)......If I were an independent thirtysomething still undecided, I think I would consider her appearance to be cool...I really would, and those of you who think otherwise need to consider that maybe you don't get what's cool (although I could be as wrong as you).
My point -- chill, for heaven's sake. It wasn't a disaster and may have helped her a bit.
Hopefully we can afford to be honest and generous about this.
Obama/Biden 08
I totally agree, I am a Democrat and not a fan of Sarah Plain at all, but I do believe everyone is getting up in arms over her appearance on SNL for no reason. I think it shows some courage for her to go on the show that has been skewring her for weeks. I also feel her performance was primarily out of her control (the campaign "handlers" that would or wouldn't allow her to appear in certain sketches and the writers on the show giving her material etc.). I don't believe it moved the needle for her or McCain, but give credit where credit is due.
Sidenote - why is no one talking about how Kick Ass Amy Poehler's rap was on Weekend Update? I mean my girl is about to give birth (as a mother of a 6 mo. old who can remember being pregnant very well she deserves a ton of credit...you are practically out of breath walking across the room at that point in your pregnancy much less able to rap!) She was brilliant.
I agree with okmichael, we should just be generous about Sarah Palin's appearance on SNL because hopefully in a few weeks she and McCain will fade into the background as Obama/Biden win the election :)
I am so put off by S.P. that I simply did not watch it. I have difficulty with candidates for high office pandering to pop culture fascination. I do not think it helps them in my opinion and may undermine the seriousness of their agenda. I do have a decent SOH, so I am not being curmudgeonly here. I do not want to be entertained by my elected officials but rather served by them. There may be a place for this popular stuff, but not now in the middle of a campaign of such magnitude as to be a redeclaration on the course of America. In fact, given Sarah Palin's bawd appeal, it is befitting of her to exercise her populist show(wo)manship given her propensity for sycophantism.
Palin's publicity stunt apparently did more damage than good to Palin rep it could be a ploy to detract from her possible lack of credibility as VP hopeful?
To see Palin talk about foreign policy, check out this site -
http://dailysource.org/palinvideos
It's got videos of her talking about foreign policy and also lots of other topics including the economy, energy, the environment and the media. It's got every interview and nationally televised speech since she was picked, as well as every SNL skit and Daily Show report about her. Over 100 vids in all
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