Live from New York, it's "Sarah Palin"! (Oh, and "Hillary Clinton," too)

“Saturday Night Live” kicked off its 34th season last night with a “nonpartisan message” from Sen. Hillary Clinton (SNL regular Amy Poehler) and Gov. Sarah Palin (guest Tina Fey).

As the two stood behind a lectern, flanked by American flags, "Palin" said they were “crossing party lines” for this unexpected joint appearance “to address the now very ugly role that sexism is playing in the campaign ...”

“... an issue which I am frankly surprised to hear people suddenly care about," interjected "Clinton."

And it got better from there.

“PALIN”:  "You know, Hillary and I don't agree on everything ..."

“CLINTON” (OVERLAPPING): "Anything. I believe that diplomacy should be the cornerstone of any foreign policy."

“PALIN”: "And I can see Russia from my house."

“CLINTON”: "I believe global warming is caused by man."

“PALIN”: "And I believe it's just God hugging us closer."

“CLINTON”: "I don't agree with the Bush Doctrine."

“PALIN”: "I don't know what that is."

Poehler portrayed Clinton in a number of sketches last season, including one that satirized what was seen as the media’s love affair with her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Barack Obama. Fey’s strong resemblance to Palin was noted as soon as Sen. John McCain picked the virtually unknown Alaska governor as his running mate two weeks ago. Fey played that resemblance up last night, arranging her hair in a striking updo and perfectly mimicking Palin’s flat prairie accent. 

[UPDATE: Palin was flying from Nevada to Colorado when the show was broadcast but was able to see it, thanks to the satellite TV system on her JetBlue charter. According to ABC News, there were guffaws from the sizable press pack aboard the plane -- but only silence from the front cabin, where Palin and her advisors were seated, even though flight attendants told reporters that it was on there too.]

Speaking of Obama, he had been scheduled to appear on "SNL" last night but canceled, citing the devastation in Texas resulting from Hurricane Ike.

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Comments

[Jefferson]

Very funny. Tina Fey did a great job. Actually they could have skewered her worse if they had wanted to. It seems that only satirical shows now are able to point out the ridiculousness of someone like Stepford Palin. If anyone in the mainstream media or anywhere else did it you would have a pack of Whiners the likes of which has never been seen before .... whining sexism for tying to get to the facts regarding the issues this nation will be voting on in November.

The funny thing (or scary) about Stepford Palin is that her lack of knowledge and ignorance runs deep when it comes to filling the job of VP. Yes, the other candidates make mistakes at time .... but this is balanced with the amount of knowledge and understanding they have regarding issuses such as foreign police, the economy, education, and health care. Every one stumbles at times ... then there are those who need to go learn how to walk in the first place.

I can see that some particularly dense people still think that Sarah Palin is running against Obama. Careful .... we'll have to put you in the dummy group too.

[h rosan]

Oh yeah, now everybody out there including the dumbest electorate wants to poke fun at Palin by pretending to know what the Bush Doctrine is all about. What the hell is the Bush Doctrine?? What difference Knowing what it means will it make in the day to day governance of America? . Most people and including those smart alec pro Obama liberal reporters and journalists did not talk about it because they probably did not know what the Bush Doctrine is. I am a thousand percent sure that Bush himself does not know till NOW that he has a DOCTORINE? go ahead ask him and he will say : What Doctor are you talking about??? I feel fine ! ! Enough satire and derision aimed at Palin who is a smart woman with great courage and conscience far exceeding most other politicians and that includes Obama alias : the Liberal Media's pet . America is the victim of its own liberal and biased media. The media deserves to be chastised by every conscientious citizen for the shoddy work it has done reporting on Palin.

[j. maddux]

As a 100% unbiased adult, former military officer and former resident of Alaska, when the 'war hero' (don't think so) selects the Govenor of Alaska as a 'political ploy', he lost my vote. Can we all focus on how serious this election really is???

[Katy]

I feel safe with Bush in office, I would feel safe with McCain in office, but I would not feel safe with Obama in office since he has a Michael Jackson we are the world attitude. He would give the country away in a heart beat before he would fight for it and if you don't have a country everything else is pointless. he seems to think he is running to become President of the world and not the United States.
A very dangerous man!

[Ted]

Nonpartisan Observation: Either party has its own position of issues: it's fine, but ONLY IF the party ACCOMPLISHES such position. By observing both parties' movements, it can be said that Dem. has much more FLIP-FLOP character. The very good example is: The party 's (Dem.) sudden FLIP-FLOP to pro-offshore oil drilling position from the previous strong anti-offshore oil drilling position. This recent fact evidently shows the party's FLIP-FLOP character: They are now afraid of losing the upcoming election if they keep their "anti-offshore" as the majority of Americans are "pro-offshore." This fact indicates the Party may change their position anytime calculating advantage/disadvantage, instead of keeping their policy and integity.

[Monty]

Tina Faye for President!!

[DDAY]

none of you republican idiots are commenting about the bias FOXNEWS .

[peabody3000]

why is it that i knew what the so-called bu$h doctrine refers to, and yet every so-called conservative in this country has forgotten or grown confused??

folks, with chillingly coordinated movements, the neocons are all lined up with the same scrapbook of lies to feed to us. much like the crowd of tobacco executives all swearing to congress that cigarrettes werent addictive

neoconservatism is a death sentence for democratic freedom!!!

[woodstock1969]

Here is a skit for you SNL. Have Michelle and Barack in a pew (like they were) and have a Rev. Wright at the podium, which he was, and have him saying....

"And if I could just add one more thing…
A full day of silence
for the tens of thousands of Palestinians
who have died at the hands of
U.S.-backed Israeli forces
over decades of occupation."
In case anyone doesn't know where Obama is really coming from concerning Israel, this direct quote from Rev. Wright with Michelle and Baract sitting in the pews listening, 2 years before he was forced to leave the church and separate from his mentor Rev. Wright says it all. And Obamaites, do not lie, he said himself that Rev. Wright was his mentor.
Anybody in their right mind who selects this pastor on their platform committee after that statement, is someone who should not be president of the United States of America.

[CharlieB]

The amount of hatred in the responses of so many, especially the right is an astounding testimony to what has become of all of us. Culture wars? They are eternal in diverse societies. Media bias? Watch FOX, "Fair, Balanced and Unafraid. "Humor? Eternally subjective. Making fun of politicians?? An American tradition--- Remember Mark Twain and Will Rogers? But the sheer level of paranoia and manipulation in contemporary politics, its exaggerated impact in a mass market, private, electronic media society and the rage and demand for endless outrage by the Rove, Hannity, Limbaugh, Coulter wing of the Republican Party, alll combine to create a society where reason and debate over policies has no place in public discussion. Let us base our votes on serious issues: lipstick, misrepresentation-al Ads, slips of the tongue (O's 57 states, McC's geographical and Shia-Shiite misstatements in the Middlle East; guilt by association; the sexism of attacking Palin and the righteous and clearly non-sexist attacks on Michelle Obama; Racism and whatever else might piss us off. We are a society increasingly driven by hate, intolerance and the the manipulative use of hot button issues to maximize rage and outrage. One need but go to any site where readers respond to articles and we see what we have become.

[bill taylor]

Great show last night SNL, not only did I bust a gut listening to great political satire but also today getting a kick out of seeing another round of endless whining about how badly everyone is treating poor ole Palin.

Here an idea SNL, show a conversation between Palin and Ted Stevens where Sarah is telling Uncle Ted not to worry she really suppots him despite what she is telling the rest of America. Or they could argue who is really more corrupt

[TY]

There will be no working together no matter who wins this election. Truth is, we live in two very divergent countries, with polarized ways of looking at the world. We have been herded into separate camps by those who would weaken and destroy our country. I suspect that this insurgency is entrenched / based in both the media and government, from where they have nearly succeeded in destroying the most powerful nation in the world. Open your eyes and see how you have been led away from your countrymen into a separate, hate filled camps living to do battle with your fellow American.

Unless we realize this and choose to rout this insidious cancer, we are doomed. You have been warned, the next steps are up to you. Unite or fall.

Know this; The media is shaping your world into what they want you to see. Pull back the curtain and you will see this is not reality.

[Samuel]

Why dont conservatives have any funny skit comedy shows? Oh yeah because conservatives arent funny, nor do they serve any role inside of popular culture, other than blowhards like hannity and o'reilly. Where are all the conservative artists? Where are all the conservative comedians? It's just not in their nature, sorry republicans but all you guys have a monopoly on is country music.

[andy]

well i thought the clintons were pretty upset about obama but after the meeting held with obama in harlem and obama heeding help when his advisors said they didnt care about clintons women voters i wonder how much and what has obama offerd the clintons ??? I am a democrat and never voted republican but am this time because i am very disgusted with the clintons who were called all kinds of names by obama and now are willing to help out at WHAT PRICE??????????

[JoshK]

The Dem party was fooling to nominate the least qualified candidate they had for President. It's absurd that McCain could pick a light-weight like Palin knowing that she would outshine the Dem presidential candidate.

Bill Richardson was a governor and much closer to the center than Obama. He also is a governor, who usually beat senators in Presidential elections. The Dem party is going to pay for this fooling swing to the left.

[Paul]

Palin IS uneducated. It is so blindingly obvious.

She had a liberal arts university curriculum and completed a degree in journalism, but actually failed to learn that you simply CANNOT be a proper feminist in this country unless you understand that supporting abortion is good, hunting animals is evil, and NEVER push a family values agenda.

She actually knew her latest child would be born with Down's Syndrome, and unlike over 90% of the other women in this country when presented this choice, she kept the baby.

Her teenage daughter got pregnant, and Palin allowed her to decide to not abort the child, marry the father and, as Barack Obama said, "punished her with a baby".

Forget any other resume item Palin may have (and by all accounts, there seem to be many more). The above points are what make for the vitriol aimed at this woman.

If SNL wants its satire to be relevant, it should address points more authentic. That's when satire is worth something.

Go Sarah!! She is TR for the 21st Century.

[basementfrog]

128mojo

The reason is the press is controled here in the USA by interest on the right. A few mega corporations control the media and manipulate elections by votin machines made by friends of the republican party.

Come out and expose her for the obvious idiot she is, would only bring the wrath of people you don't dare piss off (do some reseach on a journalist name Gary Webb, who worked for the San Jose Mercury News).

Palin will get a free ride all the way..and the press will make sure she does.

ABC brought in their most softball looser, the Gibber, to interview Ms. Palin, thinking she would have some basic knowledge. Surprising to even the republican establishment, she is coy but dumber than anyone thought or could have imagined. For the love of God, she doesn't even know what government entitlements are!

And she may have the button at her finger tips one fine day. Shoot em like a moose because their just bad, and that's all we need to know. They are just bad.

[David]

My god, Ms. Fey is brilliant as Palin. Hillary needs some work though. Very funny. The skit shows that both parties are out of touch with most americans. Is it time for the two party system to go?

[2T3MzooK]

The Palin/Clinton bit was great, but it is a shame that it was based on the "official media spin" given to the heavily and apparently purposively edited ABC interview. See the full version of the interview here:

boldhttp://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=41758

or Google:

palin interview edited full

for lots of informative links.

[clara vergari]

I'm insulted. Did Sarah call hockey moms female dogs i.e.,
b......, dictionary definition? As a Mom, I've tried to teach my children to not be vicious pitbulls or baracudas. Instead I hope they will be intent on fairness and kindness in life and in sports. Sarah's comments should not be mistaken for acceptable humor. It's our responsiblity to not laugh at or accept such distorted thinking as humorous. I was under ihe impression that a primary goal of sports is to promote fair play and respect for the rules and one's opponent. Silly me?

[McGreen]

I loved it, biting satire that is too close to the truth.

I think enough people will take the office of the president and vp seriously enough to vote for Obama and Biden.

[2T3MzooK]

Also, I am a bit incredulous that one of the commenters above said that Palin got an easy ride in her interview. If you compare her interview with that given by the same person to Obama, it is apparent that Obama got a much easier ride and that the interviewer considerably biased in favor of him:

Obama interview:
http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5000184

How does it feel to break a glass ceiling?
How does it feel to "win"?
How does your family feel about your “winning” breaking a glass ceiling?
Who will be your VP?
Should you choose Hillary Clinton as VP?
Will you accept public finance?
What issues is your campaign about?
Will you visit Iraq?
Will you debate McCain at a town hall?
What did you think of your competitor’s [Clinton] speech?

Palin interview:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09...with-abc-news/

Do you have enough qualifications for the job you’re seeking? Specifically have you visited foreign countries and met foreign leaders?
Aren’t you conceited to be seeking this high level job?
Questions about foreign policy
-territorial integrity of Georgia
-allowing Georgia and Ukraine to be members of NATO
-NATO treaty
-Iranian nuclear threat
-what to do if Israel attacks Iran
-Al Qaeda motivations
-the Bush Doctrine
-attacking terrorists harbored by Pakistan
Is America fighting a holy war? [misquoted Palin]

By the way, Tina Fey was better as Palin than Amy Poehler was as Clinton. Tenet got the accent down perfectly!

[gerald bryant]

Sexism in the election campaign for President and Vice President of the United States of America ? That is what happens when women are introduced into the equation. What do people expect? Live with it.

[sven]

Someone out there still watches SNL?

I thought they canceled it after Will Farrell left.

[Mark]

Haha that was brilliant