by Frank James
I have to confess. I saw the Saturday Night Live opener with Tina Fey, Gov. Sarah Palin, Alec Baldwin, SNL founder Lorne Michaels but found most of the skits that followed so painfully unfunny, I walked away from the TV and missed Palin's second turn on the show, during the Weekend Roundup segment.
I watched the skit this morning and found it laugh-out-loud funny, especially the shots of Palin "raisin' the roof." The Alaska governor did cooperate with people who were essentially making fun of her, making me wonder which she was doing more, demonstrating a good sense of humor or a love of the spotlight that trumps all.
One thing Poehler's rap steered clear of was Troopergate. Was that an accident or in the terms behind Palin's appearance on the show?
MEYERS - "And now, here to clear up some misconceptions about her campaign, Vice Presidential Nominee Sarah Palin."
GOV. SARAH PALIN - "Thank you Seth, Amy. And thank you for the chance to come out here. But I've been thinking it over and I'm not going to do the piece we rehearsed."
MEYERS - "But you were so good at it."
GOV. PALIN - "I know. It was really fun. But my gut is telling me this is a bad idea for the campaign."
MEYERS - "Are you sure?"
GOV. PALIN - "Yes, after a lot of thought. I think it might just cross the line."
MEYERS - "Ok, well...in that case, Amy, do you want to do Governor Palin's part instead, Amy?"
POEHLER - "I guess I could give it a try..."
MEYERS - "Do you remember it?"
POEHLER - "I kinda remember it ... (IN HARDCORE RAP DEMEANOR) 1. 2. 3..."
(A Beat kicks in)
"MY NAME IS SARAH PALIN, YOU ALL KNOW ME, VICE-PREZZY NOMINEE OF THE GOP, GONNA NEED YOUR VOTE IN THE NEXT ELECTION, CAN I GET A WHAT-WHAT FROM THE SENIOR SECTION, MCCAIN GOT EXPERIENCE, MCCAIN GOT STYLE, BUT DON'T LET HIM FREAK YOU OUT, WHEN HE TRIES TO SMILE, CUZ THAT SMILE BE CREEPY, BUT WHEN I'M V.P., ALL THE LEADERS IN THE WORLD GONNA FINALLY MEET ME,
(FRED ARMISEN & ANDY SAMBERG enter as ESKIMOS)
POEHLER -- (contd)HOW'S IT GO ESKIMOS?TELL TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ESKIMOS!HOW YA FEEL ESKIMOS?TELL TELL ME WHAT YOU FEEL ESKIMOS! SAMBERG/ARMISEN -- ESKIMOS!ESKIMOS!ICE COLD!SUPER COLD!
POEHLER -
"I'M JEREMIAH WRIGHT CUZ TONIGHT IM THE PREACHER, I GOT A BOOKISH LOOK AND YOU'RE ALL HOT FOR TEACHER,
(The camera cuts away to Meyers and Gov. Palin enjoying themselves) (JASON SUDEIKIS enters as TODD PALIN and stands next to POEHLER)
TODD LOOKING FINE ON HIS SNOW MACHINE,
SO HOT FOR EACH OTHER, NEED A GO-BETWEEN, IN WASILLA, WE JUST CHILL BABY CHILLA BUT WHEN I SEE OIL, IT'S..."
ALL -- "DRILL BABY DRILLA!"
POEHLER -
"MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE,"
FROM MY PORCH I CAN SEE,
RUSSIA AND SUCH."
ALL THE MAVERICKS IN THE HOUSE, PUT YOUR HANDS UP, ALL THE MAVERICKS IN THE HOUSE, PUT YOUR HANDS UP, ALL THE PLUMBERS IN THE HOUSE, PULL YOUR PANTS UP, ALL THE PLUMBERS IN THE HOUSE, PULL YOUR PANTS UP,
WHEN I SAY OBAMA,
YOU SAY AYERS,
OBAMA!
SAMBERG/ARMISEN -
"AYERS!"
POEHLER -
"OBAMA!"
SAMBERG/ARMISEN -
"AYERS!"
POEHLER -
"I BUILT ME A BRIDGE AND IT AINT GOING NOWHERE!
OOOOOHHHHHHHH.
MCCAIN/PALIN
GONNA PUT THE NAIL IN
THE COFFIN... OF THE MEDIA ELITE"
SAMBERG/ARMISEN -
"SHE LIKES RED MEAT!"
(A MOOSE ENTERS)
POEHLER -
"SHOOT A MUTHA HUMPIN MOOSE EIGHT DAYS OF THE WEEK, NOW YOURE DEAD NOW YOURE DEAD CUZ I'M AN AMINAL, AND I'M BIGGER THAN YOU HOLDIN' A SHOTGUN, WORKIN' THE PUMP Everybody party, we GOING ON A HUNT LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA YO I'M PALIN I'M OUT!
(AMY, SUDEIKIS AND SAMBERG/ARMISEN EXIT AS SNOW FALLS)
MEYERS - "I think you made the right decision not to do that."
GOV. PALIN - "You betcha."
• 
Comments
My vote:
"a love of the spotlight that trumps all"
Posted by: lochnessmonster | October 19, 2008 10:04 AM
Sarah ROCKS!!!
Posted by: Rey Flores | October 19, 2008 10:47 AM
Palin is pathetic..She is not wanted or needed down here in the lower 48...She has ruined any chance McSame ever had of winning the election.
Posted by: Sybil C. | October 19, 2008 11:55 AM
Good of her to be a good sport.
Posted by: Joe | October 19, 2008 12:13 PM
that was one of the funniest thing i've seen! whatever you have to say about Palin, I appreciate a person who can poke fun at themselves.
Posted by: noscruplez | October 19, 2008 12:13 PM
Drill baby drill!
Posted by: John | October 19, 2008 12:42 PM
One heartbeat away from that??
Posted by: Ano | October 19, 2008 12:56 PM
It's great that Palin is willing to play along with light jabs at her.
But, I wish I could support her - the hypocrisy she exhibits by attack the Democrat on "what do we really know about him?" when she flat out refuses to a) do a press conference, and b) won't acknowledge the results of the investigation (claiming she didn't break the law (true) OR do anything unethical (by the same finding, false)).
What do we know about her? Not much at all. I've heard rumors, most of which may be left-wing exaggerations, but I don't know what's true or not, because she won't talk to the press.
So I find the fact that she can make fun of that fact rather insulting. It's not a joke.
Posted by: MoeZ | October 19, 2008 1:00 PM
just like her to sit back and do nothing. Great skit on how stupin and useless she will be
Posted by: jon | October 19, 2008 1:02 PM
Love her!!!!! She a great sport! No she doesn't just love the spot light! Just like Obama dancing on Ellen she was just having fun! Drill baby drill!
Posted by: lindley | October 19, 2008 1:11 PM
Palin Rocks. She is the only running who gets the American people. Obama is an elitist and out of touch. Biden is losing it. He's had so many gaffes he'd be fired if he was a CEO. McCain has been in DC so long he doesn't know how we live out here. Palin on the other hand gets it. She buys her baby's diapers at Wal-Mart, sold the expensive plane for the governor's office, works on her hubby's fishing troller. She gets it. She knows how we have to live.
Posted by: P. smith | October 19, 2008 1:20 PM
I don't think much of McCain and especially Palin. She would be a heartbeat away from the presidency and having a religious fundie who doesn't believe in evolution, is fiercely against abortion, and is a segregationist, would and should make the entire country shudder. That said, I liked her dance on SNL. She was a good sport.
Posted by: Geoff | October 19, 2008 1:26 PM
sarah palin gets my vote!
Posted by: lane | October 19, 2008 1:27 PM
DRILL BABY DRILL
just saw sarah palin at my school thursday and she is AMAZING!
Posted by: Linzy Dunn | October 19, 2008 1:32 PM
Folks, I disagree with Palin on almost everything, but c'mon, it was a fun time.
Posted by: Joe | October 19, 2008 1:38 PM
I agree with joe and noscruplez that she was a good sport about appearing on SNL. I found it interesting that tina Fey took off so fast- Palin DOES look like Fey's better looking sister!
Posted by: PJ Dvorak | October 19, 2008 1:42 PM
Crawl back in your padded cage Sybil. It must eat you up knowing Sarah has it all going on and she will be the next Vice President of this country,despite liberal media misinformation.
Posted by: steve whitehead | October 19, 2008 1:45 PM
How funny! Sarah was such a good sport! My friends and I loved her!
DEMOCRATS for McCain & Palin 2008!
Posted by: Islamorada | October 19, 2008 2:18 PM
I say Obama you say Ayers!!!
OBAMA !
AYERS!!!
Posted by: Adria | October 19, 2008 2:41 PM
Great job, Sarah-cuda! You rock!
I thought Alec Baldwin was gently poking fun at himself with his mean comments (I don't like his politics, but you gotta admit he's a very talented comedian). The comment about 30 Rock was also funny (Lorne Michaels: "Not enough people know about the show.").
I'm surprised by the GOP fear about Gov. Palin going on the show. It's a great, and possibly only, spot to reach that group of clueless Obama supporters who only vote based on image and likability.
And she showed her toughness along with her likability. "Caribou Barbie" she ain't!
Posted by: wombat | October 19, 2008 5:24 PM
Proud to be Alaskan and makes no excuses, Sarah Palin and McCain equal Double Maverick Deuces ! ! !
GO Sarah
Go Sarah
Go Sarah
Posted by: Proud to BE ALASKAN>Sarah Palin 08 makes no excuses | October 19, 2008 5:36 PM
WOW!! SARA PALIN FOR PREZ.....later on....... She is so cool!! I loved her in that skit!! She was BEAUTIFUL AND WELL MANNERED! THAT IS CLASS ALL THE WAY!! She is a wonderful person to put up with so much C.R.A.P. from the MEDIA and just take it all in as if nothin ever bother's her. That is MORE COOL than OBAMA could ever HOPE to be in his lifetime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: LC | October 19, 2008 7:31 PM
I was undecided until I saw this. After the second skit I sat back and thought, even though EVERY ONE on NBC is doing anything they can to put her and her campaign down, she still looks BEAUTIFUL and SMART and CONFIDENT. That made my vote go for McCain and Palin!!! YEAHHH PALIN!!!.... and BOO NBC for trying to force YOUR POLITICS down our throats.
DRILL BABY DRILL... way better than Ayers in the white house.
Posted by: Jane Doughtery | October 19, 2008 7:41 PM
SNL should pray Sarah Palin becomes VP. It's only been since they started the Fey thing that their ratings have increased. I'm afraid the show I once loved as a young man has become pretty lame. So it was SNL who needed Palin to be in the spotlight again. She definitely didn't need them. I loved the skit, Pollard was great and Palin is still hot.
Posted by: The Captain | October 19, 2008 8:28 PM
Gov. Palin displayed professionalism, poised and a great sense of humor, unlike the ignorant or misinformed folks that should read the book about her titled, "Sarah" that was published describing in detail her accomplishments. Wake up America! Don't be lazy and find out the facts. The media is corrupt and biased.
Posted by: Elizabeth | October 19, 2008 9:37 PM
Palin was as lame on SNL as she was when MSM was giving her HELL. Now Palin said her little lines and they fell FLAT now tell me something people can you imagine THAT? Even on SNL McCain won't let her TALK because when you hear his pitbull yap you just have to WALK aaaway. Bring back Tina FEY. She got truth to SAY. When I say "Palin" you say "Failin" PALIN FAILIN PALIN FAILIN to IMPRESS. Man what a monumental MESS McCain/Palin would be.
Posted by: basa | October 19, 2008 10:53 PM
Jane Doughtery wrote: "I was undecided until I saw this. "
Seriously??? Because of a performance on a comedy skit show, your vote is swayed? This is NOT an election for "most popular" or "class clown." This is for the next leaders of our country. And to you the most important issue is how well they take it from the SNL cast?
This is just truly sad.
Posted by: Milw-Town | October 19, 2008 11:51 PM
i think what really sucks is on both sides of the campaign. whenever we pick a candidate for any reason we stick to it now matter what skeletons fall out of the closet. The main issue is how the media is slanting all their polls and such in favor of Obama. If this was a perfect world we'l have honest television and honest candidates but since it's not i just don't know what to do.
I am gonna vote though. and for all the non-voters out there that think their vote doesn't matter, don't think of it as a vote for a candidate, think of it as your right to an opinion: Your right to complain when either the candidate you pick wins and does something you don't agree with, or when they lose and the other candidate in power should be doing something different. okeedokee. that's it
Posted by: Mister Will | October 20, 2008 6:39 PM
Hey Jon...so PALIN is "stupin", huh? LOLOLOLOL
Look who's talking!
Posted by: JJ | October 23, 2008 8:06 PM