Comments (22)

• Affleck’s Keith Olbermann impression may fly over the heads of most non-viewers of “Countdown”, but as far as performances go, this was a SNL host virtuoso performance.

  Comment by ToddToronto — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 12:20am PST  Reply to this post

• Is it just me, or does it strike anyone else that this sketch infers that this guy does not take the office of the President of the United States very seriously? And that he’s acknowledging the divide between himself and the Vice President? And that he’s accepted the fact that he is not going to win?

  Man, I watched this and I said out loud: wow, this guy is going to lose! And then I smiled…

  Comment by John — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 1:18am PST  Reply to this post

• Another great cold open. With the best part being the Joe Biden action figure.

  Comment by Arrested Development/30 Rock Fan — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 4:36am PST  Reply to this post

• I agree, McCain did not come across as Presidential continuing the trend of the debates, convention and stump speeches.

  I can’t imagine what he was thinking. You’d think he’d do his homework by reading the script before agreeing to go on. Oh well, another impulsive idea that in hindsight doesn’t look like too smart a move. If and when he loses, he can add SNL to the list of “unpatriotic” people to blame.

  Comment by Bob — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 5:21am PST  Reply to this post

• I hate to agree with the previous post but that is exactly what the skit telegraphed to me. John McCain basically conceded, “It’s over, so lets just have some fun.” It was an undignified appearance 3 days prior to a presidential election. I’m not really sure what he was thinking. If it were not for Barack Obama’s past associations and his obvious socialist leanings, I would have to vote for him based on his management of the campaign alone.

  Comment by AaronSch — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 6:23am PST  Reply to this post

• John 1:18 – I agree. The stuff they scripted for him was funny and he delivered it better than his own stump speeches, but the overall effect – of both the QVC and Weekend Update sketches – was consistent with a concession speech. That old John McCain of 2000 (whom I would have voted for back then) unfortunately went “double maverick” over the last 8 years and that’s what will cost him the most. GOTV 4 Obama!

  Comment by Tai B. — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 7:04am PST  Reply to this post

• McCain jumped the shark BEFORE the election!!! The man who made the decision to appear in this sketch showed such poor judgement that he should not be allowed to be President.

  Comment by DJ — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 8:00am PST  Reply to this post

• I think he’s wishing he had picked Tina Fey as his V.P. – she’s got brains!

  Comment by Theresa — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 9:07am PST  Reply to this post

• I admit it. This skit was very funny. And I have to also admit that SNL has struck a more even tone in the last couple weeks with the political humor.

  Comment by Rupert P. — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 9:42am PST  Reply to this post

• Agree. Mccain doesnt has anything to do other than talk bad about obama. every time he talks, he talks about obama. He should talk about his own plans and policies for the US,thats what people want to listen. Mccain might be a good war fighter,but not a president. and i agree, Fey looks way smarter than Palin ( especially on the sarkozy prank call to sarah palin made by the comedians, its obvious how shallow and stupid sarah palin can be.)

  Comment by natasha — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 12:13pm PST  Reply to this post

• Who the hell is managing McCain’s campaign.., Dumb and Dumber ?
  What a stupid decision to appear on SNL three days before the election, and present such a negative and ultimately unfunny view of himself…
  What a crappy choice we have for Prez and VP…the four blind mice:

  Obama: empty suit
  McCain: tin ear
  Biden: IQ of an ice cube
  Palin: Thinks pigs wear lipstick ( good line, tho )

  Almost makes you want Paglia for Prez…..

  Comment by Larry Conners — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 12:30pm PST  Reply to this post

• The sketch was pretty funny. Anyone who knows McCain, knows that he has always had a sense of humor. At the Al Smith dinner, he blew Obama away with his delivery.

  He made himself much more likable with this. Obama’s appearance last year was stiff and forced.

  Obama has done nothing but look stiffly Presidential over the past two years. And there is the news media eating it up.

  Comment by Rob — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 1:13pm PST  Reply to this post

• I laughed throughout the skit. SNL has brought themselves back from the dead by embracing the comedy of this Presidential race.

  As for McCain?

  The man showed he isn’t out of touch and that he’s able to step back and laugh at himself.

  I think whether he wins or loses he’s a solid guy that deserves the respect for his years of service.

  Comment by joe the writer — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 1:50pm PST  Reply to this post

• I am shocked and saddened by the ignorance of this blog’s readers. Obama is most certainly not a “socialist”, and while this did seem concessionary in tone for McCain – I thought it got back to who he was before his campaign got seriously out of hand.

  That being said, I agree – the timing was poor for McCain to have done this spot. Maybe in a couple weeks time, but I think that his campaign figured any exposure is positive exposure.

  Comment by ak — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 5:55pm PST  Reply to this post

• It is too bad that the campaigns have to end. However, I can see Palin and Obama starting on their 2012 ones next Wednesday.

  Comment by John — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 6:29pm PST  Reply to this post

• The Olbermann sketch was damn funny. The over the top righteous indignation, the “sir” type of language, it was great.

  I don’t care if Obama is “stiffly Presidential”. After the last 8 years, you’d think people would realize that someone’s ability to be the life of the party doesn’t make him a good candidate for president.

  And I agree with the couple of other posters that it’s too bad the McCain of 2000 didn’t run this year. Watching him on SNL reminded me of the guy he once was. If it wasn’t for the in the gutter campaign he ran (with the help of the same people who did it to him no less) and the Palin pick (she’s the one thing that keeps me up at night when I think about him winning), he’d make a fine president.

  Comment by cookmeyer1970 — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 8:37pm PST  Reply to this post

• We get the leaders we deserve. American hasn’t had a decent President since Johnson.

  Nixon – Liar, cheat, racist and power mad.

  Ford – Clumsy idiot, empty suit.

  Carter – Weak, indecisive, naive and foolish.

  Reagan – Divisive, bigoted, easily manipulated.

  Bush (41) – Weak, lacks leadership, without conviction.

  Clinton – Lack of character, dishonest, self-destructive.

  Bush (43) Arrogant, prideful, stupid, bigoted, blindly religious.

  And now:

  Obama – Liar, elitist, agnostic, inexperienced, manipulative, corrupt and naive (See Carter)

  McCain – Lacks leadership, bad judgment, prideful, lacks conviction (See Bush 41)

  Comment by No Country for Black Man — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 9:27pm PST  Reply to this post

• I don’t like SNL, haven’t for a very long time because it just hasn’t been very funny. But with John this week and Sarah a couple of weeks ago I’ve tuned in.

  John McCain was a great sport and funny, especially in the first skit. Though McCain was much funnier and had much better writing at the Alfred E. Smith dinner a couple of weeks back.

  That was such a terrific performance that his SNL stint pales in comparison. BTW, it was cute having Cindy in the SNL skit too.

  And McCain was in no way disrespectful of the office.

  The people writing such stupidity have probably marched at rallies with Bush is Hitler signs so they have zero perspective to make such a lame charge.

  John McCain is an American hero who respects the office and for anyone to suggest otherwise is intellectually dishonest…..and probably a party hack.

  Comment by sheryl — Sunday November 2, 2008 @ 10:16pm PST  Reply to this post

• Mccain is definitely not the best for America, i wonder why people just dontsee it. America, this is your chance to reconcile with the rest of the world, to change those conservative ideas that you have, to become a normal country again not a baby of a few pot-bellied individuals in your society. if Obama was white all of you who do not like him would think otherwise. Shame on All the hypocrites who call Obama a socialist, terrorist or any of the silly mantra spat onto you by McCain. The man just isnt right for the job.
  See you at the inauguration party folks. Go OBAMA!!

  Comment by Croesus — Monday November 3, 2008 @ 6:52am PST  Reply to this post

• Lighten up everyone!!! The SNL skits were all funny. Keith Olbermann needed to be taken down a couple notches and McCain/Palin needed to be humanized. We find humor/satire in a kernel of truth. Obama isn’t the Democratic Messiah and McCain isn’t the Republican Devil. This is America. We vote. A new President is elected, we get behind him and move on. The SNL McCain skit extremely funny and sadly truthful. The SNL Olbermann skit was “dead on”. The Extreme Left as well as the Extreme Right all need a sense of humor, because none of them have the absolute moral high ground on any issue.

  Comment by PeterB — Monday November 3, 2008 @ 2:51pm PST  Reply to this post

• Uhh, newsflash dude, Johnson was no great shakes either.. Vietnam War ring any bells? His so-called ‘great society’ set the country up for the economic hell we suffered thru the 1970s and early ’80s…

  I think you mispronunskiated ‘Eisenhower’…

  Comment by Dr. Kenneth Noisewater — Monday November 3, 2008 @ 7:29pm PST  Reply to this post

• I hope this doesn’t get McCain an electorial pityf**K tomorrow, although I was reminded of something else.

  On “The West Wing” when Bartlett ran for re-election, after the last debate, he encountered his opponent who knew he had blown it. “It’s over” the man said, dejectedly. “You’ll be back” was Bartlett’s decent reply.

  Hope nobody says that to Sarah Palin, but I think McCain knows what’s coming….

  Comment by anotherwgawriter — Tuesday November 4, 2008 @ 2:20am PST  Reply to this post