Closing Argument: Palin’s SNL Punchlines

It underscores her real and perceived flaws.

You betcha it helps.

Didn’t hurt, but didn’t help. She looked somewhat stiff, and didn’t really show a different side of her…

I NEVER watch the dog gone show…but when I heard the Sarah was going to be on…well, I watched. I believe the VP is a step down to what she really could do!

I loved it i thought it was so cool and i really do think it will help .

it nicely validated that she is totally incapable of being president.

How about doing a real press conference or any of the Sunday morning interview shows Mrs. Palin? SNL writers put the words in your mouth just like your compaign staff does everyday.
I agree with Tina Fey when she said she hopes she is finished with the skits featuring Palin after November 4th.

It Helps because she is pretty and guys will want to vote for her to see more.

So she has a sense of humor but it hardly qualifies her for the VP position.

There’s not much more she can do to make herself look any more ridiculous than she already does…it’s beyond the realm of help or hurt – just plain nuts.

Ditto on the “you betcha it helps”!

It helped her!

It shows her good side, as someone who is entertaining and can laugh at herself. It does not make her more qualified to be vice president (whose job is to able to be president). I would fear for our country to have her in office, good sport or not.

She was great! She is proving she can
handle any situation….plus she has a
sense of humor, which is really needed in these times.

It sure didn’t hurt to have Tina Fey run off stage in embarrassment at the lopsided, shameful (yet funny) way that she was portraying Ms. Palin. Go Sarah… you showed you are a real person.

It really did not help or hurt. It seems most people tuned in to watch a train wreck. The hip hop parody really made fun of her and she sat there looking like a good sport. I guess her dance like moves as she sat was supposed to make her look cool. The program has always poked fun at politicians but what they do does not have great impact on election results…thank god..people should not make such important decisions based upon spoofs.People who hated her before SNL won’t change their views and vice versa

Nothing can help Sarah Palin. She never should have been picked by Senator McCain as VP. She belongs in the zoo with the rest of the animals she hunts.

She was hilarious, and I give her credit for taking the challenge. But, if someone lets her participation in the show be the deciding factor in their choice for the political office, they are part of the bigger problem of irrationality being a controlling factor in our political process.

The fact that she didn;t make a total fool of herself should not be counted as success. Her few words demonstrated that the party doesn’t trust her in an unscripted situation.

are you kidding me? this is the person who could be our next president.please is this what AMERICA needs?

Hurt her. Showed her as the joke that she is. Entertaining and funny? Yes. Leader and positioned to be President of the United States? No way! C’mon America… “Alaska?!?” Are you kidding me?

I remember four years ago when people said they were voting for Bush because he was a guy they could sit down and have a beer with. I wonder if those people can afford to buy a beer today? How about gas, milk or health care?
Wake up people, it takes more then a nice smile and wink to run this country.

She put herself out there which was brave. She made us laugh and is able to laugh at herself. Everyone needs to understand that that is a characteristic many politicians lack which is not beneficial to voters when the politicians cannot see themselves in the mirror (i.e. they do not know what reflection means). The McCain-Palin campaigns sails on to election day.

The representation I saw from Sarah Palin on SNL, which was a lack of professionalization at a critical time in the presidential race. There was no substance but desperation to be “liked.” The qualifications to hold such a high powered position in the White House should not be mocked on SNL by the person themselves. Maybe after the election her appearance would have been more acceptable.

data is real and not afraid to laugh. It was great to see her be secure enough to be in front in ffront of all America

I think it shows she is not afraid of being a real person & it also shows she is up for whatever comes her way, whether it be a stupid tv show or an important decision for our country.

Go Sarah! You rock – I’ll be voting for McCain/Palin. A lot of other college students I know found her entertaining – I think it may have swayed some of those younger voters who weren’t sure who to vote for.

I LOVED Sarah Palin and Tina Fey on SNL on Saturday. Sarah Palin was the best part of the show. But I’m still voting Obama. That just shows how lame SNL is these days. Where’s the irony of those early SNL writers and performers?
And whatever happened to those fake commercials SNL used to run? Saturday was perfect for a political commercial, but if there was one I must have been dozing, and I never used to fall asleep during SNL.

IMO it hurt her enormously.
SNL simply set up a mouse trap for her, Shakespearian style.
Palin’s main role was that of the spectator/bystander, witnessing how the SNL crew kept on mocking and insulting her.
Palin must be a very naive woman.
SNL made a fool of her, above all by letting Palin making a fool of herself.
Painful to watch.

The SNL sketch helped Palin’s image. The media has portrayed her as a birdbrain, which she is not. She showed that she can take a joke, just like Hillary Clinton did when she appeared during the primaries.

She’s ridiculous. I was embarrassed for her, the way she smugly pronounced,
“I’m not gonna take any of your questions…” She thinks it’s enough for the American people to see her stand up to mean comedians on SNL? Give me a break. She looked like a fool, dancing and beaming while they mocked her. That’s the most substantive thing she can do? Yeah, she’s the person I want a heartbeat away…

She made herself look silly. She didn’t get the joke because it was on her and the McCain CAMPAIGN. The McCain CAMPAIGN should not have let her go on SNL, IT DID NOT HELP THE NCCACAIN CAMPAIGN AND HURT US AS REPUBLICANS

I didn’t watch it, but I heard about it and I think she is a very good sport to have people mock her and it shows she has a good sense of humor. Why on Earth is everyone thinking that she will be running for Presidency when she been nominated to run for Vice-Presidency. What everyone should be asking is is Obama ready for the Presidency? He has been an US senetor for only three months out of the two years and ran for President the rest of the time. Where is the leadership in that, pray tell?

It helped her – I think I’ll be voting Republican this time around!

her being on snl showed us that she just wants attention…her and mccain say that obama cares about fame yet who’s the one going on snl … she is not ready to be our v.p.

Give me a break….Obama a socialist….that’s what is wrong with this country …people need to think for themselves instead of repeating lies that the OLD man is spreading! So dumb!

I don’t remember there being a big ole comment section on a hack article when Obama and Hillary went on SNL. The song was funny and Palin was a pretty good sport. I loved her line to Alec about Stephen being her favorite Baldwin, with him being a Christ-follower and all. Sarah, I love that you don’t let anyone in the media define you. I’m grateful that you believe that you are who God says you are! May God bless you INDEED!

Mari- I can see McCain/Palin supporters emphatically say it helps her, but it will be forgotten in a few days when she continues to put her foot in her mouth!
You got all wrong, you mean Biden’s continues to put his foot in his mouth!

No big deal…not really worth watching. I think McCain picked her because she is cute…otherwise, why wouldn’t he have picked someone more qualified…either male or female? There are many female Republicans who are more qualified than Sarah Palin…but maybe not as cute. And…what does THAT say about McCain’s judgment?

The big problem with McCain and Palin is Palin.
Respect sure is not what Palin deserves.
The next Vice President or even the Presidency. Be very afraid for our country.
Remember, Tina Fey is making fun of you, what a brainless idiot you really are. You betcha, gosh *** it, dog gone it, big smirky smile Wink Wink is really getting old.
Another side of Palin as a racist and hate monger,by creating anger and hate at rallies is unaccepceptable.
Sarah Palin funny No.
Still another side of Sarah Palin using her 6 month old son Trig with Down Syndrome to gain support from families who have disabled children is so low. Shame on you. This does not give you the right to say and have John McCain say you understand what it is like to have a child with a disability being that you went back to work 2 days after his birth.
Try raising four children and being with them day after day with one of them disabled, and now 15 years old then you can earn the title of experience. Yes, I have that experience and I see right through that fake smile and annoying winks and how you talk down to people.
As for experience Sarah Palin, we can see you are greatly lacking.

I am pleased to say that I think her appearance on SNL hurt her. The audacity of the Republican Party to tout Palin as qualified to be the VP or President of our country! I am both horrified and offended that McCain could have chosen someone so completely lacking in qualifications, vision, understanding and awareness of world issues. PLEASE, Sarah, go back to Wasilla, (and stay there), and allow Obama to begin working to fix the mess left for all of us by those in charge over the last eight years. Amen.

Wonder if Sarah would call her husband unpatriotic for his membership in a group that sought Alasks’s sucession from America? If she can claim Obama pals around with a radical, then it must be okay to sleep with a radical as in Todd Palin. She just another christian spweing venom and hate through as american values, ugh!
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/todd_palin_was_registered_memb.php

How could a “not taken very seriously” candidate for the second most serious job in the WORLD, by American standards, do herself good by “throwin’ ‘em up”?
She doesn’t seem good natured like Joe Biden, or too stuffy like some accused Obama or Clinton of, or in need of some positive press, like McCain.
The only thing I can think of is, she’s setting the stage for a career change… I wouldn’t be surprised to see her on fox news. She seems like an opportunist.
Americans love “the new”. Look how well Joe, the formerly broke plumber, is doing. (I bet he’s paid off his lien by now.)
Still, I don’t want to sound like a hater either, Just because the Republicans put her in their “long ball, hail mary”, mix, doesn’t mean she shouldn’t benefit in some way. (She did get to see how the other half (49) lives- the unAmerican, Americans- I just don’t see how this enhances her credentials. We already thought she was funny.
“The whole” of her candidacy was odd.
The bigger question is, what is going to happen when she gets back to Alaska? Will this campaign make her or break her?

i don’t think it will change votes but it was great watching sarah have fun-if only the rest of us could loosen up the world would be a much better place. face it no matter which party wins it is not like they go off into isolation to live out lonely lives. all involved are wealthy, and surrounded by huge loving families, friends, and will continue their affluent lifestyles while the rest of us THE EXTRAS will be left hating each other to try to figure out how to pay our heating bills this winter.
remember as long as the power elite keeps us divided we lose.

Thank you Sarah for your wonderful performance…you were God’s greatest gift to the Democrats! “Doggoneit” Don’t you just hate when that happens

tina is too skinny to play the healthy, robust, looking sarah. tina looks like she has an eating disorder.
better than botox joe for sure.

There’s nothing wrong with having fun at the right time but right now is not the time.Personally I think there is nothing more serious then this ELECTION.when will she stop acting like A 17 TEEN YR old? and act more mature. because that’s what we need. that’s my opinion.

It was sad. They made fun of her while she sat there and watched it all unfold. During the “Weekend Update” scene the lyrics of the rap song were all making fun of her and she was oblivious to the skit. Sarah Palin is not in a position to poke fun at herself when she is already against the wall trying to assert her qualifications for the second most powerful position in the free world. For example, when a well known Latin American politician stumbled and fell off a stage – the looped video clips were very funny – and it only demonstrated that he was human and could also look foolish at times – and yet that one incident only detracted a minuscule of his dignity as formidable world leader. The SNL skits have taken Sarah Palin’s behavior, comments, and expressions and magnified them for the world to see. SNL has extremely talented writers but they choose to simply use her own words as a punchline. They made it a point to have Tina Fey at a press conference – Sarah Palin has never held a press conference. Sarah Palin barely answered the questions posed by Charlie Gibson and Katie Couric much less a barrage of questions from the White House Press Corp. We want her to radiate confidence and she is not doing that very well. Remember 2004 when a week before the election a video tape was released by a notorious terrorist leader – people panicked and remained with the current administration rather than risking being attacked during the changing of the guard. For example, if I won a few pick up basketball games at the local park and suddenly someone said “hey you are great and you should be in the NBA” – the NBA is a totally different ballgame because of the toughness and experience of the players – it is the same on the world stage. Sarah Palin may have well deserved accolades for her past work in Alaska – but she may not be ready for the Pro League required at the White House. She is heartbeat away from being President. Even the female actresses that play the Vice President roles in movies(Glenn Close in Air Force One -1997)exude more confidence than Sarah Palin. Her nomination as Vice President seems to be more like a knee jerk reaction rather than a well thought out conscious decision. She may return to her current position and fulfill the needs of Alaskans and her family. I want to very objective about this. I am not advocating for any candidate – I am trying to comment on this race the same way a juror evaluates evidence in a court of law. Barbara Walters asked Mrs. Hasselbeck about Sarah Palin’s qualifications and she responded by questioning Mr. Obama’s qualifications. If you share Mrs. Hasselbecks support of Mrs. Palin then you should think about other important occupations that impact your life and ask if you think that qualifications matter. Would you be concerned about the qualifications of surgeon that will operate on your family member? Would you be concerned about the qualifications of an airline pilot on your next trip? Would you be concerned about the qualifications of your child’s teacher? Would you be concerned about the qualifications of your plumber? Would you be concerned about the qualifications your local medical, fire and police department? You should be concerned because your life and your future could be in the hands of some of those people. The VP position should be the toughest job interview ever. Thank you for allowing me to discuss this with you.

I am an independent voter from Colorado, and I am very much impressed of Sarah Palin straight talk down to earth style without elitism. This is the kind of person we must put to the white house to lead us. I do not care now on what other pundits and media are saying against her. in my strong opinion, these are just signs of jealousy and insecurities. I have made a decision to vote the republican because of her. If not this year, she will be the biggest asset of the republican by 2012.

Thank you McCain for choosing Sarah Palin as your running mate because it hurt your campaign – like a booger you can’t shake off your finger! Palin is so full of herself and as far as politics go it is like a marriage gone sour and YOU JOHN MCCAIN have to “stand by your woman”! As a woman she does not represent me.

I agree with jane anne. I am an independent professional from Virginia. I attended to her rally, and 99% of the attendees were impressed and touched on the way she speaks to the people: straight talk, eye to eye and plainly without hypocrisy. This is real outsider that we must need in the white house. I am leaning towards Palin/McCaine

SNL didn’t help her at all. I still prefer Tina Fey’s spot on impersonation to the un-real Sarah Palin who is as inept as a comedian as she is to be a vice president. I’m thrilled that she is pulling down the republican ticket.

They lambasted her and she didnt have the brains to see it. That rap song was making fun of her. I wish she wouldve done it, then she wouldve totally looked idiotic. At least she was smart enough not to fall for that, I give her credit for that.

It was hilarious, but I can’t imagine what she and the McCain camp thought this would do for their campaign. I for one believe it just a good laugh. Gov. Palin has tended to put her foot in her mouth and I agree she does not do well unless scripted. Heaven forbid she ends up in the White House.

I can’t believe some of the comments so far from people who are making this such a big deal, saying that it just shows how she’s not qualified or ready to be a VP. That’s just stupid. If anything she showed guts to go on the show knowing what they do, and showing that she’s not intimidated. She’s not afraid to be a real person unlike many politicians who say and do whatever they think people want to hear and see. Personally I wish she would have been in a skit where she threw up on Alec Baldwin.

Let’s see, has Sarah appeared on CNN? Nope. MSNBC? Nope. The BBC? Nope. Meet the Press? Nope…..Did being on SNL help Palin? Nope. She is shrill, insular, inarticulate, mean and dangerous. She is not qualifed for VP.
The difference between Palin and the other candidates, is that all of them talk to the press-she doesn’t.

DEFINITELY BROUGHT CLASS TO SNL!!!
The “real thing” upstaged the fake, however funny the fake may have been at her expense! Sarah Palin showed that no offense was taken where offense and ridicule were always intended against her. This is what a true-grit lady does; hats off to her. She went along as any regular guest would have, and was much funnier than Josh Brolin, for sure! Showed grace, humor, smoothness and… pretty good moves! She saved the program, as it was a lackluster one that would’ve bombed if not for her two bright appearances (kudos to the writers). No telling what a more informal skit with her and hunky husband Todd (who needs actors with all that natural talent?) would have done for NBC’s ratings! Of course, would the network deserve such luck??? Seems it is quite hypocritical to take advantage of the popularity and charisma of a person otherwise despised and maligned by the SNL staff in particular and the network(s) in general (“a creationist who shoots arctic baby animals… the horror!”). But I am glad she did it, as it has been customary for many serious politicians to be on SNL, including Senators McCain, Obama, and Clinton, and Governor Huckabee.just this year (where’s Biden, hiding?). Poking fun at oneself is not considered shameful at all, it shows personal strength, even rejection of perceived flaws.
I was glad to see the ending, it redeemed the whole SNL’s Sarah saga when, as usual, all participants joined in greeting each other: nice! I have enjoyed these endings since they started (was it in 1975?).
Regarding the basic question whether this show helped or hurt Palin, we’ll see. Let the young ones research the net and find what Laugh-in did for Nixon way back 1968. At 54, I’m old enough to remember when such a dark character turned common-man with a simple “sock-it-to-me” and went on to win the election. Had they suspected it, would Rowan & Martin have allowed such a moment? Not probable. By contrast, Palin is such a likable person.
PS. Apparently, many responders above are either too young or too lame, and in their quest to use this venue to spew out their ignorance, unprovoked hate, and hollow echoes of pre-conceived opinions about someone they don’t even know, simply forget to address the question at hand. Makes you wish more money should’ve been spent in education rather than iTunes…

Liked the way SNL handled having a pol there during a election. The rap was surprising to say the least and I really dug it. Highest ratings in 14 years for SNL. Palin really shone. It was cool for her to put herself out there. I also enjoyed Mark Wahlberg looking right through her as he searched for Andy Samburg “to break his head” after setting it up earlier in the week on Kimmel.

I was hoping SNL would turn the tables on her — rehearse the ‘fake’ press conference during dress rehearsal, then for the live broadcast have real journalists ask her real questions — the kind of thing she has so skillfully avoided. I think it’s sad that she will do a live TV entertainment show but won’t engage in a real press conference, and during the TV show even boasts she won’t take real questions.
If you had to be operated on, would you want your surgeon to be the one who’s watched operations or the one who’s proven he knows what he’s doing? Why would you have lower standards for your leaders? I feel so bad for her kids. In time we will know just how much damage she’s done to them while chasing this fantasy. She’s a devastating embarrassment to women in politics AND stay-at-home moms everywhere. I can’t wait til this election is over, when Republicans wake up to the reality on November 5th that John McCain made a horrendous mistake in judgement, and the majority of American voters saw through his cynical, foolish choice for VP.
The Republicans like to refer to Democrats and Liberals as “elitists” because we value education and working to make our lives better. If that’s what they truly believe, then they must accept the fact that their followers are members of the ignorant class who revel in their lack of education and limited world view. That’s who admires Sarah Palin. Xenophobes . . . who, let’s face it, probably think that’s someone who’s afraid of a Xena, Princess Warrior. Yes, it’s a culture and class war. The Left wants everyone to have access to a good education, and the Right, who, as my Grandfather used to say, are the people who say “my mind is made up; don’t confuse me with the facts.”
My grandfather was a Republican, though my mother says he’d never recognize what his beloved party has turned into. As H. L. Mencken said on July 26, 1920: “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents more and more closely the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

I am an Alaskan, and I know I speak for many of my neighbors when I say I that the SNL appearance was sad, especially when she said her press conference “would” have gone much differently. She’s never held a press conference. It would be too embarrassing. It would reveal that she has never given a moment’s thought to any issues of national or international significance. How anybody could know that and still think she’s still qualified to serve as VP escapes me.

Likeable is not electable. Funny how much time and effort people put into their posts here, like above. If they spent that amount of time researching Palin, they would see the truth. It definitely hurt her with undecided voters. The only people supporting Mc/P would have voted for them regardless.

COME ON FOLKS SAD, OMG SHE HAD TO REHEARSE THE SHOW AND KNEW ALL THAT WAS COMING. SHE CHOOSE WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO, BELIEVE ME. SHE WAS A RIDICULED AND SHE TOOK IT WELL, CAN’T CRY NOW. I THOUGHT IT WAS HILARIOUS. PALIN COULD THINK OF NOTHING ELSE TO SAY. SHE SHOULD HAVE SAID NO TO THE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS ALTHOUGH I FEEL SHE IS UNWORTHY OF VP LET ALONE GOD FORBID PRESIDENT. ANYONE CAN PUSH THEIR HANDS UP AND SAY HEY, HEY, WHEN SHE OPENS HER MOUTH SHE RUINED IT. ACTUALLY IT WOULDA BEEN FUN IF TINA AND PALING WERE BATTLING IT OUT LIKE TWIN SISTERS…. IT WAS FUNNY BUT PALIN HAD NOT MUCH TO DO WITH IT. LMAO

What’s to review? She didn’t really do much of anything.
Unless waving your hands in the air and looking as awkward as my mom at a Slayer concert is something?

She looked as phony as possible… She is a joke, and has no business running!!!

She was a good sport. Baldwin is a horrible actor.
I liked hen she was dancing. And when She sung along “Ayers”.
Dem for McCain/Palin

GET REAL. What is she doing on SNL (making a fool of herself, obviously), shouldn’t she be on the campaign trail facing issues???????
Independent Voter was totally correct, why not show up on Meet the press and answer questions on the issues, if she knows what they are.
Instead of slamming Obama and calling him UnAmerican, face the issues, answer questions.
By the way, what about Todd Palin belonging to a group that wanted Alaska to secede from the US? Sarah spoke to the group.
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LET’S FACE THE ISSUES – ECONOMY, FOREIGN POLICY AND ENERGY. It’s obvious she doesn’t know and evades it.

I agree that it didn’t hurt, but didn’t help either. She pretty much watched them make fun of her. So apparently she doesn’t have comedic talent either. The Alec Baldwin piece and the rap by Amy P. were the best!

I think Palin has done nothing but hurt McCain’s campaign. She loves the spotlight, and hammers in lies about the opponent. I sure wouldn’t want that bobble head to ever hold the office of VP, or, possibly president. What a mess this country would be in. Talk about not having the experience to lead. People in glass houses shouln’t throw stones!

I have never watched snl but because Gov. Palin was due to appear on the show, I watched.
I thought she did just GREAT! She proved to everyone that have been saying terrible things about her, that she has a GOOD sense of humor.The show snl, is terrible. I don’t think I’ll ever watch that show again! TOO stupid.

She didn’t really do anything at all… She just sat or stood as people made fun of her in her face.
She obviously has a sense of humor, as anyone does… but did it help or hurt her? I’d say it didnt’t do anything for her… it may just have confirmed public opinion of her.

SNL didn’t help Palin, and if you think it did fine. I would think she should have been learning how to give a truthful, yes truthful, interview, and answering questions and most of all learning what the vp role in the senate is.
She state, with McCain, that he has more endorsements than Obama, who? Colin Powell is so right, she is not ready for the vp. Everyone claims she has more executive experience than Obama, but she is so unaware of what is going on in the states and world. She cannot go through any interview without changing the subject or evading the question, what will she do as vp or press?
She condemns others for ethics, and fired some, but what about her? Travel with her kids, where they weren’t invited, and charging Alaska for the cost. There are many other things, but she always has an answer for???
She is totally unaware of policies. She thinks she is ready, I don’t and it is frightening at the thought of her being vp much less pres.

She might of been a good sport but
that in no way makes up for her lack of intelligence and skills. Palin is not a vote for women, she put women back 20 years!!
http://www.palinaspresident.us/