comment #1

BNick says ...

It was a great moment. His lines were a little corny, because he basically repeated what he's been alluding to about Hillary for the past week or so, only he did it in the context of an SNL skit.

Interesting that the photo you included is obviously from the dress rehearsal, since Amy Poehler has another costume on underneath her witch...er...bride outfit.

comment #2

christian says ...

If it woulda been John McCain the applause woulda been just as loud. Obama on SNL is not a vote getter.

comment #3

Hopscotch says ...

All this sketch proves is how UN-funny SNL has become in the last few years.

obvious jokes, obvious laughs. Goes for the applause lines.

Glad The Daily show exists.

comment #4

Ian Sinclair says ...

Don't give up the day job, Obama. He has all the charisma of the mask he was wearing.

comment #5

Dave says ...

"The sustained cheers that Obama got when he took off his mask were, I thought, somewhat significant. All right, maybe not."

How can that be? No one I know voted for Nixon!

comment #6

MovieBob says ...

Yeah, good moment. He's still toast. Done over. The last debate started at 9:00, he had first question and he was FINISHED as a viable candidate by 9:02, if that.

He was asked, point-blank, to simply highlight some of those areas where he claimed he STRONGLY differentiated from Hillary; this coming right after that bonehead move of "I promise I'll be tougher on her, honest I will!!!" to the media. ALL HE HAD TO DO was repeat basic facts: I voted against war, she voted for. She voted to call Iran's Republican Guard terrorists, I didn't. That wasn't even a softball question, that was a BALL-PLACED-GENTLY-ON-THE-TEE-FOR-HIM question... and he blew it. "Wellll, y'know, these things get blown out of proportion..." he backed off. Wouldn't do it. Pansy. Wuss. Loser. Fighting for your political life and you're too GENTEEL to criticize an opponent who's own FANS don't like her? Pathetic.

comment #7

BNick says ...

Except, MovieBob, that virtually all the press coverage coming out of that debate centered on how Hillary was evasive in her answers, and how for the first time her opponents openly engaged and even attacked her.

Obama had it both ways in that debate. He pressed her on her inconsistent answers and her forthrightness, especially later on in the debate, but he left the "attack dog" role to Edwards. Those who know Iowa politics know that candidates who get into verbal sparring often do poorly in Iowa, whereas candidates who remain above the fray are rewarded.

Since the debate, sensing his momentary advantage, he has pressed his case against her further, albeit gently. His other main advantage is that his strengths are her weaknesses, but if he goes after her too aggressively, that advantage disappears.

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

Don't give up the day job, Obama. He has all the charisma of the mask he was wearing.

Posted by: Ian Sinclair at November 5, 2007 11:11 AM

You know it's fine to support Hillary (not really), but when you just say shit like that it makes you seem like a massive tool. Attack him on experience if you want (like your candidate has so much), but charisma is what got him here. Also, you're not witty, ever.

comment #9

WJ says ...

Blah. What an incredibly lame sketch. I'm embarrassed for Obama, forced to wade through that drivel.

comment #10

p.Vice says ...

It's almost as bad as Bill Clinton's old appearances on the Arsenio Hall show.

comment #11

frankbooth says ...

"All this sketch proves is how UN-funny SNL has become in the last few years."

You have an interesting definiton of "few."

comment #12

bmcintire says ...

I can't believe they didn't play up the fact that Giuliani was sitting in the background done up in the blonde-wigged drag ensemble that's haunted him since he actually appeared that way at a fund-raiser.

comment #13

Gordie Lachance says ...

SNL is not all that bad. Amy Pohler is funny. Bill Hader is very funny. They don't do many political sketches anymore (this was the first time they opened the show with one this year).

Running video of Bush on any given day is funnier than any sketch anyone could ever write, so it's kind of hard to do satire.

Did you ever notice that the people who dogpile on SNL for being 'lame' are the ones who have never said or posted anything remotely amusing, ever?

comment #14

Hopscotch says ...

is that you Lorne?

comment #15

MovieBob says ...

BNick:
"Except, MovieBob, that virtually all the press coverage coming out of that debate centered on how Hillary was evasive in her answers, and how for the first time her opponents openly engaged and even attacked her."

Oh, she got CLOBBERED. Hit bad. Worst hit she's ever taken in her political life. But end-result? She's STILL way out in front, just slightly less so. That was IT, the other candidates last real shot to inflict real damage, and it wasn't good enough. She's the nominee, and if the Republicans nominated anyone other than Giuliani or McCain she's the President of the United States, gods help us all.

To be fair, Obama was NEVER going to be the nominee, poor fella. Not this time, not in this "we MUST recapture the White House at all costs!!!" Democrat environment. Yes, because of racism, but not the kind you may be thinking of: Is a majority of America too racist to elect a black man president? Possibly, but that's not the question. The question is, do a majority of Democrat primary voters BELIEVE that a majority of America is too racist to elect a black man president? ABSOLUTELY. Of course they do. They're registered, politically-active Democrats - they believe that their not-registered-politically-active-Democrat countrymen are unrepentant racists the way Republicans believe in the existance of The Gay Agenda ;)

comment #16

D.Z. says ...

I really don't feel that Hillary's a winner. She's as much of a corporate shill as Bush, but she lacks his easy-going nature which helped him "win" Florida and Ohio. And she doesn't even act like a leader, just a follower. Plus a lot of people who lost manufacturing jobs to Mexico under her husband's watch will probably take it out on her.

comment #17

Heleno says ...

Wow, and to think this was written before the writers strike started. Question is, will anyone notice if SNL writers went on strike?

comment #18

BNick says ...

MovieBob,

Can't disagree with any of what you said. I do think one of Obama's problems is that his potential voters project a certain amount of racism onto the rest of the country.

But I do think she was hit a bit worse than you say. It may have been a stomach wound, not fatal in and of itself but you bleed forever until you die. Her Democrat opponents now have an opening on her lack of candor, and her eventual general election opponent has an opening on drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.

comment #19

Nan says ...

Jeff,

Give it up. Barack Hussein Obama is not going to be the President of USA. No amount of propagandazing on your behalf will make it so.

Nobody would take Obama seriously as a presidential candidate if he weren't black. He would be treated as just another newbie senator. Instead you and the entire media treat him like the second coming of Thomas Jefferson. Based on what? The guy was in the state legislature 2 years ago. He arrived in the senate. Unpacked his bags and started running for president. The guy is not qualified to be president. Of anything.