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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I didn't watch SNL... I did not have the stomach to watch her trying to make us think she was a good sport when I knew, the next day, she would be trying to make us feel fear and hate about Obama.
I don't feel this type of digusting irresponsible behavior should be overlooked for the sake of a laugh. Sarah is no laughing matter.
Sarah Palin was totally humiliated on SNL and she doesn't even realize it. That's how stupid she is. The rap song and press conference continued the humiliation more than I thought was possible.
Usually, when the guest getting scewered goes on SNL, the guest confronts the actors directly to assert superiority and make clear that SNL's jokes are not based on truth. Hillary Clinton confronted Amy Poeler and said "Do I really laugh like that?"
Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci confronted Jim Brewer and Colin Quinn and put them in their place telling them that their cariacatures were bad.
Judge Judy scolded Cheri O'Teri to knock it off.
Sarah Palin sat there like the simpleton/ buffoon that she is. She was totally clueless that SNL was continuing to send a clear message that a Palin presidency would be a disaster beyond comprehension.
The above article got me thinking. Did SNL purposely have bad scripts about fartfaces, MacGruber etc. because Palin was on? I seem to recall that happened before when Pres. Gerald Ford was on and Chevy Chase and Gilda Radnor joked about "Presidential Erections". There were many offensive skits that night too. Hmmm. I myself find that kind of humor denigrating. If it weren't for Sarah Palin and this country's fascination with her (and Tina Fey's characterization), their ratings would be in the tank. I had been a fan of the show for years but lately was turned off by the sick humor. This election season has been a boom for them but after Amy leaves the show and Tina goes back to "30 Rock" my guess it will be in the tank again. As far as Palin, she proved she can take a joke. I wished she had more lines, but I enjoyed watching her swaying to the rap.
Nah. SNL's skits have been pretty lame for quite some time. Once in awhile, they'll do a good one, but they're few and far between. The debate parodies were great, though.
Well written and exactly what I felt after watching the show. Thanks for saving me the trouble. You said it best.
I got the impression she is just more interested in the "celebrity" aspect i.e. to be a Faux News anchorwoman in the future etc, more than any political aspirations.
I think you hit the nail on the head- I perceive her as an opportunist- looking for "stardom." Why else do you enter beauty contests?
Vanity!
Do anchor women on Faux Noos Rap? They certainly don't give the news. I'd like to rap on HER, with one of those Alaskan rifles she is so fond of.
In a word, Palin looked UNCOMFORTABLE.
I think that Sara Palin came on SNL just because she was being vindictive and wanted to show Tina Fey a thang or two. But Sara only made herself look ridiculous. People were not laughing with her they were laughing at how cold they made Alaska look, even when they played the Rap Music which was wayyyyyyyyy out of her league, and surely when the moose came out dancing and they were firing a gun at it. To me they made fun of the whole town and Sara Palin. So thats what happen Sara when you think you have power to scare everybody else just because you ruled and control men and women lives in Alaska. Wake up, your'e not in Alaska now but in the BIG CITIES. Sara Palin you are a vindictive racist woman who thinks by having power to fire someone and causing a person to loose their job in being able to do this you think it makes you qualified to control the whole world. I dont think so. If you did become President I personally will never vote again and the hope for many Americans will be lost forever. There will never again be another turn out at elections such as this.
I didn't watch SNL... I did not have the stomach to watch her try making us think she was a good sport when I knew, the next day, she would be trying to make us feel fear and hate about Obama.
I don't feel this type of digusting irresponsible behavior should be overlooked for the sake of a laugh. Sarah is no laughing matter.
It's just another example of McCain's Bumper Car Strategy of campaignin
I have to disagree. I don't like the woman at all, but if she would have done that skit with the moose instead of the blonde, i bet they would have gone up in the polls. You have to have a sense of humor at times like these. McCain can be very funny and I honestly wish Obama would be a little less serious at times. But then, I guess if Obama was funny on top of all his other attributes, he would be perfect. He is the man...
Too bad you didn't see the white tie roast that both candidates were at last week. They were both funny and it even helped humanize McCain a little bit. I was so struck when Obama delivered his lines and then had the cutest chuckle/giggle. I loved seeing him laugh because we hadn't seen that before! He IS the man...
I agree. I love Tina Fey as Sarah Palin, but otherwise thought the bits were demeaning to SP. I am no SP fan, but I didn't like the Alec Baldwin bit about "you're even hotter in person." As a woman, that just irritated me and I couldn't believe she would put herself in a position to be objectified like that, or I should say, validate the objectification that already goes on as many men on the right apparently have crushes on her (referencing the guy at National Review, for example). Far from humanizing her, this SNL appearance further enhanced her image as a lightweight, frivolous, candidate and while I'm not a McCain/Palin supporter, I don't like to see any woman humiliate herself on a national stage.
THE FREEDOM OF VIEWERS CHOICE IS AN UNBREAKABLE ONE :)
I disagree that Palin wasn't able to poke fun of herself. Just by being there, and especially by standing by while Alec Baldwin skewered her, she was acknowledging the material SNL uses in their pieces about her. While not a brilliant performance, she held her own, did fine, and I don't think she was genuinely bothered by the SNL skits. That being said, I don't think it helped the campaign, although it probably helped her.
It "humanized" her, as do all these TV appearances where the guest doesn't screw up too badly. In the PR world, it's the same strategy we recommend to CEOs who have to respond to a crisis -- face the public. So I guess that means the McCain camp thinks they're in crisis mode! That said, I think SNL did a good job balancing this one since denying her an opportunity to appear would have made them seem too one-sided. And Palin did a respectable job. But is it just me or has cue-card reading become more distracting over the years???
I didn't think she was funny----the skits that slammed her were funny, but she isn't funny. She IS however, addicted to attention and the spotlight. She won't do an interview with the mainstream media and she slams them every day, but she sure wants the spotlight shining down on her.
Remember people, she thinks she is the best thing in the world. This is a Gov who hired a PR team to create her image. Palin actually said that she wanted to wear glasses because she thinks she is too pretty. OMG, give me a break. Plus, she was just quoted as saying that her campaign team won't let her read all the bad press because it will depress her. This women thinks the world is in LOVE with her. Her world view is all the Palin-bots who want her autograph at her rallys.
It's a sad day when a VP nominee won't do serious interviews, and slams the media at every turn. She would do really well in N. Korea.
She wears glasses because she is cross-eyed. It's a problem that runs in my family, too. I started wearing glasses all the time after somebody told me that my eyes wandered in opposite directions when I got tired. My cousin wears glasses, and sometimes one can't tell who she's looking at. Not attractive.
Ok Iam Not the best with words but if I was Jon Stewart I would think I could say something alittle more intellegent the f+++-u come on thats whats wroung today in are schools and in our streets I guess Iam to old school I believe in respecpting your elders no matter how wrong they might be I dont walk Accross my nighbors grass ,because its shorter .Its not mine it dont belong to me please someboby help get some real people in for president kick the lawiers to the side people they are trained liers hello you want change get rid of this system its sucks its not even fair the vote of the people doesnt matter anymore politicans do nothing they say and everything they dont do we really need a Obama telling us everything we want to here and knowing he cant change half of what he says he can hey the us is digging a whole voting on a man with realtives in terroist org.Americ
Big heaving SIGH!!!
I really apreciate your insight though, in telling me what's wrong with our schools. Thanks! In your last (sentence??) you menioned that you "didn't have to go to school to learn the differace between right and wrong." Since that seems to indicate you DID go to school, we can clearly see that schools are a dismal failure.
Guess what? You shouldn't get respect because you are older. Respect is something you earn.
It's so difficult to teach my children respect for the elders that are displaying disgusting irresponsible behavior,
using hate and fear and misinformation to secure their place in the White House.
I have taught my children what to respect in a person,
and a man that realizes he will not be elected because he is the better man, but would be just as satisfied to win based on lies and deception, does not deserve my respect nor that of my children.
You need to learn to spell if you want your opinion to be taken seriously.
Lighten up Robert. While I don't want Sarah Palin anywhere near the White House EVER, I think her appearances on SNL have been very, very funny. I think it shows her being a good sport and if anything, softens her image and makes her almost endearing to people who normally look at her and only see evil. Sarah throwin' her hands in da air like she just don't care, while Amy shoots a guy in a big moose outfit is just FUN-NAY. "How you feel Eskimo?" "ICE CO!" "All you maverick's in da house put yo hands up! All you plumba's in da house pull yo pants up!"
Have some laughs people.
I agree. It's a TV show, for pete's sake. Get a sense of humor. Everybody and their Aunt Hattie has been on that show at some time over the years. Big Deal!
SNL is a very stupid program, not funny at all, except for the pregnant lady dancing. All the fuss about Palin's appearance was overkill, I enjoy Tina Fay much more. Sorry I stayed up to watch it.
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