Senator John McCain's vice presidential pick Gov. Sarah Palin entered the late night lion's den and held her own, as SNL alums and regular guests like actors Alec Balwin played against the Alaskan "maverick's" confident good nature.
Vice Presidential candidate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin looks at her rival, Senator Joseph Biden, during the Vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 02 October 2008. EPA/WHITNEY CURTIS
"Saturday Night Live" has has a mini-renaissance of sorts thanks to the ex Wasilla Mayor who has an array of ideas and hobbies that have made the long-distance running fit mother of five the talk of the entire world, both pro and con.
Gov. Palin seemed to revel in her self-deprecating appearance on "Saturday Night Live" where she faced liberal nemesis Alec Baldwin and her physical doppelganger Tina Fey, providing a glimpse at how the pro-life gun loving woman can roll with the political lampooning that has taken the long-running series into the ratings stratosphere.
Gov. Palin got an earful from actor Alec Baldwin, who "mistakes" her for his friend and co-star from "30 Rock", comedian Tina Fey, before opening the program with its signature line, "Live from New York, it's 'Saturday Night!' "
The show opened with Fey in character as Palin taking questions in the governor's first news conference. Then the camera cuts to the real Sarah Palin, standing in a hallway with executive producer Lorne Michaels, observing the performance on the playback monitor.
"Yeah, Lorne, you know, I just didn't think it was a realistic depiction of the way my press conferences would have gone," she said, shaking her head disapprovingly.
"Yes, but it's obviously a heightened reality," Michael replied.
"Why couldn't we have done the '30 Rock' sketch that I wrote?" the governor asked, referring to Fey's critically acclaimed but low-rated comedy.
"Honestly, not enough people know the show," he responded.
Then Alec Baldwin rushes up to Palin and Michaels - greeting them as "Lorne" and "Tina."
"You can't let Tina go out there with that woman," Baldwin begs Lorne. "She goes against everything we stand for. . . . This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want our Tina to go out there and stand there with that horrible woman?"
"Tina, what do they call her, that Caribou..."
Palin doesn't miss a beat: "Caribou Barbie."
When "informed", Baldwin changed his demeanor to smooth as a "Cucumber" Frankie DeMarco from "Married to the Mob."
"I see," he said. "Forgive me, I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person."
Palin then informs Alec her favorite Baldwin is Stephen, the vocally Christian brother.
The Born again Baldwin made the news recently when he challenged Barack Obama to a boxing match.
Baldwin told the New York Daily News, "I'd like to knock some good sense into Barack. I wouldn't hurt him. But if he wins the election, he'll hurt me. He's a cultural terrorist."
The entire segment culminates with Baldwin whispering in Fey as Palin's ear as she was addressing the crowd.
"What? The real one? By-uh!"
The two amusingly passed each other as ships in the night, giving each other the once over as they were dressed in identical red jackets in that shade of GOP classic Cadmium red.
Later in the show, Palin made an appearance on "Weekend Update," and got into the rap that Amy Poehler busted out: "McCain got experience, McCain got style, but don't let him freak you out when he tries to smile. Because that smile be creepy, but when I'm VP, all the leaders of the world gonna finally meet me."
Was it a smart move or desperate pandering? Talk back and tell us your thoughts on the guest appearance of Sarah Palin on SNL.
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