Hillary Clinton, live, on Saturday Night Live

Apparently it pays for a presidential candidate to inject "Saturday Night Live" into a serious political dialogue, as Hillary Clinton did during her most recent debate with Barack Obama.

Clinton's gambit may have struck some of those critiquing the debate as woeful, but SNL opened its latest show with another skit depicting Obama as the media's darling --- and her as its victim. More to the point, the coda to the sketch was an "Editorial Response" -- delivered by the candidate herself.

Clinton exchanged a few quips with her SNL portrayer, Amy Poehler. The pair were dressed precisely alike; cracked Clinton, “I love your outfit. I do want the earrings back.”

Then, Clinton got to deliver the program's signature line: "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night."

Not a bad burst of free air time as the crucial Ohio and Texas primaries approach. Indeed, while ...

the Clinton camp continues to press its case that Obama has benefited from kid-glove press treatment (the New York Times examined the question in a Saturday piece), he and his aides might be wondering about now if SNL is in the tank for her.

The show's writers could hardly be blamed for such a tilt; the first Clinton presidency kept handing them material they could never have conjured up themselves.

Taking second billing to Clinton -- appropriately, given how his presidential campaign ended up -- was Rudy Giuliani. He appeared during the "Weekend Update" segment, trading a few jokes with "anchor" Seth Meyers (after first getting to plug John McCain, who he quickly endorsed after unplugging his own candidacy, as "an exceptional man").

Giuliani's best line? Comparing his White House quest to a SNL skit: "It started strong, but you really don't have an ending."

Clinton will try one more pre-primary comedy gig Monday on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

-- Don Frederick

Photo from NBC

Comments

[Derek]

To: Hillary Supporters

If she's doing so good why has she lost so many times ?

[DrToketee]

This abrupt SNL appearance by Hillarious is just the typical first sign she's abandoning Ohio ... the very low turnout forecasted for the Columbus rally she cancelled was no doubt a big factor in her decision to break from campaigning ... just like her early departures from South Carolina and Wisconsin. She has far more polling info than we do, too, so I bet she already knows she is going down in BOTH Texas and Ohio on Tuesday.

[SpamBotGo]

I like the cartoon SNL had where Obama sent Jesse Jackson to Africa to keep him away from the media and then had Al Sharpton fit with an shocking restraining collar.

Think either of them will get to speak at the DNC?

[mike]

CLINTONS ARE THE NEW CROOKS (NOT THE NEW BLACK) IN THE TRUE TRADITION OF BUSH, NIXON & ALL THE OLD STALE, CROOKED POLITICAL MACHINES OF THE PAST... SNL - LETTERMAN & THE STATE OF NEW YORK ARE CO-CONSPIRATORS .... IF YA AIN'T CHEATIN' YOU'RE NOT TRYING - SHOULD BE THEIR SLOGAN--NBC OBVIOUSLY REELING FROM CLINTON B.S. IS NOW TRYING TO SHOW HOW LOVABLE A LADY THIS OBNOXIOUS, DECEITFUL WOMAN CAN BE WITH THE APPROPRIATE SUPPORT--TAXES, PRESIDENTIAL PAPERS ? YEA, WILL GET AROUND TO IT , WHEN WE'RE GOOD & READY!! COME ON LAT..WHERE'S YOUR FRONT PAGE STORY ON THESE ISSUES??

[Luka]

I don't like to see the split in the Hillary vs. Obama voters.
And it seems to me that the Obama supporters take it more personally if she ends up winning.
Hey, she was inevitable 6 months ago and emanated a feeling of arrogance - once he became inevitable a few days ago, he started doing the same. It should come at no surprise that the pendulum can swing both ways...

So, one should cast a vote and then follow the will of the majority. And bear no hard feelings if the candidate one didn't support ends up winning. It would be childish to let McCain win and keep the troops in Iraq for 4 more years.

[Happy Times Are Here Again!]

Go Hillary Go! Go SNL Go! How refreshing to have someone give a break to Sen. Clinton and remain fearless and strong in their convictiions! About time Obama is revealed for the political pawn he is. SNL has always been there to expose truth and we need that more than ever now at a time when smooth-talking puppets like this Obama are trying to dupe the entire nation! The Clintons were always individuals-- and how great did we all have it then?
No one controls Hillary or Bill Clinton, and they're on OUR side!
Clinton 2008! Rock that vote!

[1950democrat]

These debates remind me of the Gore/Bush debates: deer in the headlights. The moderators coach Bush=Obama and try to prop him up, and if he manages to finish a sentence the media say he won.

Hillary should try keeping quiet so he can't piggyback off her answers.

[Donovan]

Disgusting. She continues to disgrace and disgust the political process, and obviously a lot of people in power are still not ready to give up on her with this treatment she still gets (Who else would be allowed to whine like this without being attacked more by the media?). I am as far left as it comes, and I will go and vote for John McCain just to keep her out of office, I will campaign for democrats, liberals, and independents to vote for McCain just to send a message to the Democratic party that they can't do this to us anymore.

[Bob]

SNL did not make Obama sound stupid, they just made all his cult followers look stupid!

[Kathy Noon]

Obama's tour buses from the airport in Cleveland last night almost killed me (seriously). I was in the right lane on Snow Road in Parma when a State Trooper pulled under the traffic light and just sat there. The light turned green and I hesitated to go through--suddenly a tour bus roared past me from behind in the left lane and made a right turn right in front of my car, with a second tour bus right behind him. So much for homeland security. Safety was less important for the Obama group than making up lost time.

[Meg]

I think Hillary was great. I am sad for some (not all) Obama supporter. Think and relax. Some of Obama's comments sound really as cult-like followers and conspiracy theory followers. Please THINK on your own, relax and let the best person (woman :)) win.

Hillary 08!

[Nina]

We've already voted up here in NH, and we got it right... but we all know that no matter how much we sling mud it won't matter. Everyone has their own reasons for voting for one or the other of the candidates. We must give the people who have not voted yet the opportunity to prove their own intelligence by reading the materials on the pages of the candidates and making their own informed decisions.
We know it will not be a team ticket either way.
Whichever of these candidates wins the nomination will choose someone else for VP. The other candidate will have the opportunity to run again in 4 yrs.
It would be humiliating for Obama to have Hillary as the VP because the foreign leaders would all want to work with her instead of him... and I pray she won't lower herself to have him as her VP. He's just too arrogant to work with.
Oh, well. We've survived ( barely ) 8 yrs of Bush. We can survive 4 yrs of Obama if we have to because people feel the need to run with the pack instead of using their own intellect and voting for experience.

[tiredofit]

It amazes me that Obama supporters, the people that are supposed to want to unite America are such spoiled sports when any of the media reports something Hillary does in a positive way without using demeaning words.

Obama supporters need to remember that both Hillary and Obama are DEM candidates and a lot, if not half of the Dem party supports Hillary. Remember we had our votes disenfranchised in 2000 & 2004 just like the OB supporters did.

If you have confidence in OB's abilities why do you have to constantly talk down our other Dem candidate? Don't you think he can win on his own merits? Could it be that you do not think he has earned the constant positive press he has been given without ever being asked any hard questions?

The hard questions WILL come and better to allow them to come before the MSM crowns him the nominee, because if not now he WILL have to answer the hard questions in the general election.

Do Dems really want the White House back in 2009?

Make the MSM do their jobs now and start holding him accountable, because if not now, they will certainly be holding him accountable before the general election. If you really think OB is more electable, make him prove it in the nominating process, don't wail until it is too late.

[tiredofit]

If people are tired of seeing debates between Hillary and Obama, as OB claims, why did the last debate generate a history breaking 7.2 Million record high audience? Why has it been repeatly telecast? Stations do NOT repeat shows that nobody is watching.

Was it POOR judgment on Obama's part when he spoke for the American public and said WE were not interested in seeing him answer hard questions in a debate with Hillary? I think there are more than enough issues for them to debate for at least 4 hours straight.

Is OB trying to hide the fact that he is an empty suit that HAS said one thing and DONE another on several occassions, or is he actually a coward that will say bring it on and then when the going gets tough will hide under his desk?

[Opsimath]

Two things burn me about McCain's position on the war. (And remember: HIllary helped drive the bus into the ditch.)

One, the "surge" is not a strategy. He keeps saying that the surge is working. The generals went along with the name "the surge" because they're too busy fighting the war to worry about marketing and branding. But a "surge" is not a strategy; it is a logistical means to support a strategy. And McCain has confused the success that comes with more manpower (and superior combat power by any sense of the definition) with strategic and political success. Of course if you put more boots on the ground, especially more American boots, you're going to get the job done. But are you going to change the geopolitical landscape of Iraq so that those troops can come home? No, obviously, because a year later, nothing has changed.

Second, he belittles Obama by saying that we're still in Germany, Japan, and Korea, so of course we'll still be in Iraq in 100 years, and Obama doesn't understand that. What McCain doesn't understand is that we are not still in Panama or Grenada: military action does not equate to a mandatory forced presence forever. Germany, Korea, and Japan are all historical context dependent. In fact, Germany and Japan paid us to remain long after the reason for being there was gone, and the Korean War technically never ended, so that is a very unique situation. McCain says Obama isn't ready to be CinC and doesn't understand military history. I saw, McCain is mixing apples and oranges... no, apples and turnips in making a stretch of an argument to score political points.

[tiredofit]

Obama claims to be a big proponent of transparency. If this is true, WHY has he refused to put forth his earmarks for 2004 and 2005?

He uses the transparency issue as something to promote himself so why is he not being forth coming?

Another case of him saying one thing and doing the opposite?

Why not hold HIM accountable for a change? Now that would be change I could believe.

[Feminist for Obama]

Know what? I'm glad Tina Fey ripped the male/misogynist punditocracy a new one with "Bitch is the New Black"--a direct response to McCain being asked, "How do we beat the bitch [Clinton]?"

I'm a feminist and I deplore the casual misogyny that's infected coverage of Clinton's campaign.

But guess what--I'm also a feminist who supports Obama's governance from the bottom up, grassroots-style message and NOT Clinton's defensive, old school/business as usual, "I voted for the Iraq war and even now equivocate over it" politics.

It's not at all a contradiction to hold both positions at the same time. Shut up with the misogyny. AND vote the best candidate in--Obama!

[Kyle S]

GO HILLARY! Honestly, it's about time Hillary got a positive spot on any media. And it's about time the Church of Obama got a reality check -- his free pass has expired. Reading these comments I can't help but notice how defensive and hostile the Obama supporters are. If he's so fantastic and such a sure thing, there really isn't anything to worry about. What this points out to me is that Clinton is a very serious threat to his "inevitability" (it didn't work for Clinton, not sure why Obama thinks it will work for him.) Poor little Obamacans, can't take a taste of their own medicine.

[An observer]

Really funny stuff! Laughed my ass off...

Seriously though, it has been a long time the political pundits in the media gave Obama a free pass. Nobody questioned him on Rezko, or his muslim education in Indonesia, or his black extremist church. Even his middle name became a taboo. Remember McCain's challenge on his public financing? NYT immediately came out with a sex scandal (without evidence) of McCain to shut him up. This is really scary, if you ask me.

I applaud SNL for their courage. You can tell they are offending a lot of Obama supporters, who are the core audience of SNL. But hay, if the so-called journalists cannot report the news but their biased opinions, why can't the comedians take it over?

[Qster]

Go Hillary. Hillary has the experience and knowledge of dealing with foreign policy. Obama is weak on this, he doesn't even show up for committees.

We need a proven leader not rhetoric. Obama will loose in the general election. These republicans have padded the votes for Obama. You wait and see the republicans will beat Obama in a landslide.

Obama speaks of uniting but he puts out false mailers and then he whines anytime Hillary tackles him on an issue. For example, the children ad, it even had to copy the ad from her. What a fraud, he must of passed Harvard by stealing others works.

I want a person who has her own ideas. A person that doesn't need on the job training, we already had seven years of that. Its time for the American people to get out of the Obama trance, he is too weak.

[Brainerd]

Poor, Hillary, not this time. You're so controversial: your mood, anger and sarcasm. This tells a lot!

Go home Hill. Bye!

[Figgins]

Hmm inspirational speaker Barack Obama seduces the Democratic party and wins nomination over other, more qualified, candidates. Wait, I've seen this before...

Ironic that a Clinton seduced the democrats (and the nation) in 1992, and a Clinton is now on the receiving end of the same treatment 16 yeas later.

Ain't it great?

[Donovan]

It's not about jumping on Hillary. She is a dirty, dirty politician. She has lied to the people repeatedly not only about policy, if that was it I'd say fine whatever thats politics, but more importantly she lies and covers up her money trails for decades now. She uses smear tactics that the republicans do in the worst way justifying it by saying well I'm the best for the job and the republicans are gonna do this so get used to it. Why should I vote for her because of just that? I don't want a liar in office. Not someone who has so directly lied to me for decades, that is the issue. And don't respond about lies about policy - that is all judgement calls and we can bicker all day back and forth about Obama and Clinton about who lies about their policies and don't and we will never agree. The fact is is that Hillary Clinton has lied and covered up serious crimes her whole life and aides take the fall for her repeatedly. I, and the Americain people, do not want to knowingly select another liar whatever her intentions are for it. Maybe Obama isn't the answer - but Hillary Clinton is not. That is why I would vote for John McCain over her and actively campaign - I expect that from the republicans, and well from the democratic party to - but I believe if she get the nomination playing this dirty game, and with all of her past lies and crimes still on her, that we the democrats that know this and don't support her need to send a loud and large clear message to the Democratic party - and that message is that you lost us, and you lost us so much we are willing to sacrifice are ideals just to tell you this so you don't ever try to pull this cr*p on us again. We are fed up and sick of it. Most of you don't realize how deep the lies go in the Clinton camp, and how dirty, real, and illegal things they are up to. Unfortunately, it is either because you haven't followed it, or you are naive and buy into the propaganda being fed you for every other alternating excuse she has for it. I am fed up and sick of liars. Liars that are so direct. That is what it comes down to. If you don't know what I'm talking about with the Clintons, well, I can't show you and convince you of it, you have to look at everything on your own over time - there is too much dirt to explain it, and too much dirt to show, but I will start by just putting these two links on here and telling you to watch Hillary, what she does, and what she says, and tell me why would I ever want this person making decisions for me when they so blatantly lie to everyone? It is that simple fact.
Here are just a few to get started-

Campaign Financing Scandal -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bIf84llCRPc

Planted Questions Scandal -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1ifd944e_TE

Conspiring to kick out Canidates from the debates scandal - http://youtube.com/watch?v=RLzqoDv6d_E

Now tell me why would I ever want this person to be President? Why would I ever support her? Don't defend and compare to other canidates, just tell me why would I support such a blatant criminal liar? All of these things were in the last 8 years by the way, its alot dirtier and f'ed up then those three mini-scandals, although that first one is pretty bad, and they all are pretty bad. I can't take anymore of you idiots blindly supporting a blatant liar, and the media covering it up and allowing her to get away with this. There are tapes, tapes, tapes, tapes, documents, and more, and everyone covers it up for her. Enough is enough. Be happy you arent in jail hillary and go away quietly.

[Martha]

That's exactly right (commentor)....Obama piggy-backs on a lot of Hillary's responsesI. I don't think he h s a clue.

[Eddie]

Ba-lack obama is a vague and empty do-nothing. Integrity? HA. He has a minimal record of doing ANYTHING--which is one neat rick to seem clean. If I sat locked in aroom for 40 years not offering an opinion (or vote) on anything, I would be clean too.

He is also a lazy-ass thief who runs on great speeches--OF OTHERS (they were great when King gave them over 40 years ago and they worked nicely for his bud, Devil Patrick); but get some of YOUR OWN lines you insignificant cretin. I wonder if he even UNDERSTANDS what he is saying.

A vote for obama is a vote for vapidity, vagueness, and a vote is a terrible thing to WASTE.