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 have thought for some time now that the rating numbers she pulls in is because this has been the greatest soap opera of all time. That's it. She needs to go home now and figure out what's next on her agenda.
This next week, they should get Tina to do SP going on SNL ...portray what she was like to them first hand and up close. That could have an edge.
YES !! A total behind the scenes like documentary thing. From the motorcade coming in to the motorcade going out. I think the whole Thursday update should be that. With like an 8mm look. That would be rich!! The best thing about the show being relatively offensive in several areas is hilarious because it makes the GOP base wonder why she is desperate to go on that kind of show, and why she was bragging about being on there. Then acting like she was having fun during the rap. I think she did a lot of damage within her base going there.
Fran1972---> "She looks like the alien in Jack Nicholson's Mars Attacks!!" (HILARIOUS)
I think in reality she looks like her plastic surgeon had a "close encounter of the 3rd kind" with her face, maybe? Or, perhaps she needs to phone home?? She looks like the alien in "American Dad" too. LOLOL too funny !!!
I wondered how she felt standing there letting Alec Baldwin talk about her to her. Especially after I had heard from Alec how he really feels about her on REAL TIME. What was to be the plus for her appearing on the show? I must have missed it because I thought the show was rather dull; or maybe I was too hyped waiting for it.
I agree. Gov. Palin's appearance on SNL did nothing to help the GOP ticket gain the White House. Unlike other politicians who appeared on the show, it did nothing to humanize her. Actually she looked very uncomfortable the entire time, and her presence didn't add to the show (only its ratings).
When David Letterman asked Sen. McCain why he chose Gov. Palin for his running mate, he answered "I'm proud of her."
Would he have said that of a man? I seriously doubt that, especially coming from a man who once used the c-word in a joke about his wife Cindy. McCain's simply a sexist!
Sen. McCain once bragged about his ability to make quick decisions and to live with the ramifications thereafter. His selection of VP without full vetting or even knowing her beforehand is evidence of that (plus "Gotta win using any trick in Rove's book").
Is that really putting "Country First"?
Such a good point. McCain treats Palin like his granddaughter and it makes me feel sorry for him.
I had no interest to even watch SNL. Palin is in my view NOT FUNNY. I had no interest in watching her be funny. She is a dangerous politician due to extreme Christian right beliefs. I am a Christian but her brand of Christianity parallels KKK fundalmentalism just as Islam has the Islamic extremists.
I think they got the ping pong ball trick from rumors of W.'s behavior.
It was a big win for Palin herself. Not for McCain. Everytime she is seen she damages McCain's campaign but strokes her ego and perhaps her career.
If Gingrich, Limbaugh, Delay and Buchanon are still around she might have a long career.
I thought the rap was great, too. In fact, I think the rest of the show stunk because they spent a lot of time on her rap and skit. SNL was perfec because the most memorable nor did they make her a star. Their campaign called Lorne not the other way around. The show wasn't going to roll over and make her a star. They should be careful what they ask for next time. I loved the SNL skits with Obama and Hillary. They were funny because we love them. Personally, I like MadTV's fake Obama better then SNL's. And their McCain is so OLD. But, their Cindy McCain takes the cake! She looks like the alien in Jack Nicholson's Mars Attacks!! Too funny. Palin was not.
As campaigns go, the best one is winning. Our first ray of hope that all is not lost. SNL rocks!
Kubey correctly points out that one of the most positive potential effects of a candidate appearing on SNL is the humanization factor. People like to see that a candidate can not only take a joke, but MAKE a joke about themselves. This is why J-Mac looked the best he's looked in the last three months at that Al Smith dinner the other night. And who can forget how funny it was when Hillary Clinton let Amy Pohler imitate her to her face, right down to the goofy laugh? That was a great moment for Hillary.
Palin's appearance failed utterly in this regard. The Weekend Update thing was an utter disaster. It started with Palin refusing to do the bit, which of course was scripted, but reminded viewers how hesitant she is to speak to the press in real life. Then she turned the rest of the skit over to Amy Pohler, who's rap was not inane, but rather harsh and incisive (if not entirely funny). So Sarah put her hands up in the air, while Amy ripped her a new one. This didn't humanize Palin... it just made it clear, once again, that the McCain campaign knows nothing about vetting ANYTHING.
I almost thought they were going for the "Poor Sarah, they're being mean to her" effect by letting her procede with this mess. Doesn't seem to have had that effect either.
You are so right! At first, I was pissed they were giving her so much air time but then I saw that it was not working in Palin's favor to say the least.
I mean, Alec Baldwin and Amy Poehler skewered her so badly and she just stood there with a half smile on her face letting them do it!
Couldn't have happened to a nicer person!
Palin's only been coached on trashing Obama, she is lost with out Karl Rove. Very plain to see that with her appearance on SNL. She was totally lost.
I agree that Palin was not funny. But, ironically, she came across more as a leader than I've seen her in this campaign so far. In her speeches, she comes across as mean and catty. But on SNL, I could see the person who fired a bunch of city employees in Wasilla so they would have to prove their loyalty to her. I saw the really strong person behind all the hype. Amazingly, I actually liked her better (or should say, liked her at all, since I haven't so far)! I thought the rap was hilarious and when she, as a maverick, put her hands in the air, I almost fell over laughing.
One thing that does bother me is how the Repubs cite how many people tune into whatever she's on to prove how "popular" she is. I'm not going to vote for her, but I sure am going to watch to see if she trips over herself. I'm not sure that's popularity.
Really, she came across as cold and arrogant. No warmth at all unlike the McCain appearances I've seen. Maybe she's too embattled but she was not funny and I didn't see anything behind that mask.
Don't get complacent!! McCain is gaining ground in polls and his supporters are starting to come out of the woodwork. Obama needs your help now more than ever!!! If we take victory for granted McCain and Palin will win. DON'T LET THAT HAPPEN!
Vote Early then go volunteer for Obama!
Governor Palin proved at the Weekend Update desk that she has rhythm (brief clip of her boogying with Amy's rap). Which, coincidentally, is the only method she and husband Todd use for birth control (graphic of her, Todd, and the five kids).
I was disappointed in Sarah's performance on SNL. I wanted to see her dance with Beauwinkle the Moose. That would have been worth waiting up for.
She was more in her element behind the anchor desk of Week-end Update. This was the launch of her celebrity career because she now knows her political career is over. Faux Newz here she comes
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