It’s Palin v Palin in comedy TV double-take

NEW YORK – It was Sarah Palin versus Sarah Palin on Saturday in a bizarre comedy double-take that saw the Republican vice presidential candidate join her own television mimic.

Hit NBC comedy show ‘Saturday Night Live’ opened with actress Tina Fey pretending to be John McCain’s running mate at a spoof press conference. The big hair-do, little red jacket and rimmed glasses were perfect.So too Fey’s Palin-style winks, smiles, twangy accent and salt-of-the-Earth language.Then the camera cut outside the studio to the real Palin – the moose-hunting, ice-hockey loving governor of Alaska – watching her imitator on a monitor.Palin, whom Fey has relentlessly mocked, proved that lagging in the polls ahead of the November 4 election has not dented her sense of humour.She replaced Fey at the fake press conference and boogied to a rap song ridiculing her politics and home state, all against a background of phoney Eskimos, an impersonator of her husband, and even the shooting of a theatrical caribou or two.At the close of the song, Palin, still flashing that trademark smile, said: “I’m Sarah Palin.Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.”McCain on Thursday appeared on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, who has made fun of the candidate ever since he cancelled another appearance last month.Palin was so inseparable from her look-alike Fey that Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin appeared to mix them up.He was shown telling ‘Saturday Night Live’ producer Loren Michaels they could not let Fey join Palin, “that horrible person” who “goes against everything we stand for”.Michaels then pointed out to Baldwin that they were standing next to Palin, not Fey.Baldwin said to her: “You are way hotter in person.”Palin scored a point back by telling Baldwin that she preferred his brother.During the ludicrously over-the-top rap song, Palin remained seated but bobbed back and forward in rhythm.When comedian rapper Amy Poehler sang “all the mavericks in the house, put your hands up” – poking fun at the McCain ticket’s “maverick” claim – Palin obliged.Earlier, Palin told her host on the skit that she had decided not to do the rap song herself, although rehearsing it had been “really fun.””It might be bad for the campaign,” she said.”After giving it a lot of thought I think it might just cross the line.”Palin has energised the party faithful, but polarised others.Barack Obama was also on the receiving end on SNL, especially his supreme self-belief.”With just 19 days left until the election, Barack Obama warned supporters today to guard against overconfidence,” Tina Fey of ‘Saturday Night Live’ reported.”Then he boarded Air Force One, blasted ‘We Are The Champions’ and shouted ‘I’m King of the world’.”Nampa-AP, The TelegraphThe big hair-do, little red jacket and rimmed glasses were perfect.So too Fey’s Palin-style winks, smiles, twangy accent and salt-of-the-Earth language.Then the camera cut outside the studio to the real Palin – the moose-hunting, ice-hockey loving governor of Alaska – watching her imitator on a monitor.Palin, whom Fey has relentlessly mocked, proved that lagging in the polls ahead of the November 4 election has not dented her sense of humour.She replaced Fey at the fake press conference and boogied to a rap song ridiculing her politics and home state, all against a background of phoney Eskimos, an impersonator of her husband, and even the shooting of a theatrical caribou or two.At the close of the song, Palin, still flashing that trademark smile, said: “I’m Sarah Palin.Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow.”McCain on Thursday appeared on CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman, who has made fun of the candidate ever since he cancelled another appearance last month.Palin was so inseparable from her look-alike Fey that Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin appeared to mix them up.He was shown telling ‘Saturday Night Live’ producer Loren Michaels they could not let Fey join Palin, “that horrible person” who “goes against everything we stand for”.Michaels then pointed out to Baldwin that they were standing next to Palin, not Fey.Baldwin said to her: “You are way hotter in person.”Palin scored a point back by telling Baldwin that she preferred his brother.During the ludicrously over-the-top rap song, Palin remained seated but bobbed back and forward in rhythm.When comedian rapper Amy Poehler sang “all the mavericks in the house, put your hands up” – poking fun at the McCain ticket’s “maverick” claim – Palin obliged.Earlier, Palin told her host on the skit that she had decided not to do the rap song herself, although rehearsing it had been “really fun.””It might be bad for the campaign,” she said.”After giving it a lot of thought I think it might just cross the line.”Palin has energised the party faithful, but polarised others.Barack Obama was also on the receiving end on SNL, especially his supreme self-belief.”With just 19 days left until the election, Barack Obama warned supporters today to guard against overconfidence,” Tina Fey of ‘Saturday Night Live’ reported.”Then he boarded Air Force One, blasted ‘We Are The Champions’ and shouted ‘I’m King of the world’.”Nampa-AP, The Telegraph