(CNN) - Saturday Night Live, the longtime NBC sketch comedy show that has arguably wielded significant influence this presidential election season, skewered the McCain-Palin ticket for the second straight week in a row Saturday.
In the show’s opening sketch, a Darrell Hammond impersonation of John McCain is shown in an advertising studio recording his tagline for a bevy of negative - and ridiculously false - campaign ads. The ads level such allegations as Barack Obama wants healthcare coverage for the entire universe (including Osama bin Laden) and supports tax cuts for pedophiles.
The sketch also takes a dig at McCain's age, portraying the Arizona senator as unfamiliar with digital recording technology (After he is told it is a new technology McCain says, "Like 8-track?")
Politico reported Saturday the sketch was actually conceived by former SNL writer Al Franken, the current Democratic challenger to Norm Coleman's Minnesota Senate seat.
SNL has already proven its ability to crystallize emerging campaign narratives this election cycle, widely credited with raising a general perception the media was in love with Obama during the primary election season in a series of sketches last winter. SNL's portrayal of Sarah Palin last weekend also synthesized several questions raised about the Alaska governor's readiness to serve as vice president.
With a weekly viewership stretching into the millions that reaches a swath of (mostly young) voters who aren't as closely following the ins and outs on the campaign trail, SNL has a clear ability to shape general perceptions of both presidential tickets in the final stretch of the race for the White House.
Responding to SNL's depiction of McCain, spokesman Tucker Bounds said, "Saturday Night Live is funny, Barack Obama showing no sign of life or leadership during a banking crisis is not funny."
From CNN Politics
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I agree completly...
John McCain has sold his soul to the devil in an attempt to win this election, including picking Caribou Barbie in a cynical attempt to whip up the Republican base, and running the most deceitful ads we've seen since the infamous Willie Horton ads in 1988. Good for SNL that they are making fun of this!
Yeah, I thought the sketch was pretty funny. It's too bad that SNL won't talk about the Demcorats the same way.
The republicans are the real joke and SNL makes the point. McSame is just an ex-POW with untreated PTSD and would like to take this nation in the same direction as his idol dubyah, with no regard to the law or truth.
Was that supposed to be satire? Or what? It wasn't even funny. Terrible actors, too! Anyway.............Who Cares? Isn't this the typical SNL act for viewing fare? Afterall, SNL is the Liberal Left Entertainment Field of the Democratic Party ............
I agree with Mitchell, they are Scary!!!
I as a Canadian am so afraid for the USA if they get in, it affects us.
It appears that the Obama media support system is shifting into high gear as election day approaches.
Forgive me if my vote isn't swayed by a comedy tv show. Please forgive my ignorance in thinking it's a funny show and a parody. Neither does Jay Leno or David Letterman influence me, though I enjoy the comedy. Get real, CNN, it 's a tv show.
SNL is pure and simple disgustingly biased. It is liberal CNN that tells it what to say. The day is coming when 50% of us will turn into an alternative. Right now CNN gets away with murder. Even its loyal audience knows it and knows there will be a day of reckoning.
We each live in our own self created, self contained (solipsistic) universe. SNL reaches 5% of total US Households. not the total universe. I have not seen it live for 15 years because I am old and crotchety and retire nightly by 10 at the latest.
I am reminded of the Manhattan liberal lady who could not understand how Nixon won: 'Everyone I knew was voting for McGovern.'
I do not deny that SNL is humoroue . I do not deny the show influences some opinion but please do not universaliize your own prejudices or over rate the reach of this show. Far. far more people will be in church this morning and some will hear BO denounced for his alleged position on Partial birth abortion.
They're just so easy to make fun of...they are caricatures all by them selves....who can blame them for pointing that out to the world! Thanks SNL
Nice joe SNL Want to hear a much funnier story/joke? Barack O blah blah wants to be president. Now, that is funny!
God Bless John McCain & Sara Palin, Our next President and VP in the White House. The more SNL makes fun of them, the more they appeal to me and millions of others, unlike the messianic savior who will wave his hand and make all of our nations ills disappear, since he believes he can perform miracles.
I thought it was halarious. These people need to chill. Man, what has become of the comical element in our society. God, SNL made fun of everybody, from Bill Clinton to George Bush 1 and 2. Grow up people for God sake and take a chill pill.
Stop worrying people about lipticks comment and start focus on the economy to avoid a much bigger disaster. The enlistment in our milatary is all time low. Soldiers are doing two three tours of duty fom Iraq to Afghanistan. Our young soldiers are stress fighting a war that they do not know anything about. Sucuide among soldiers are all time high. There is no real help for the soldiers that suffer post traumatic stress. Some of our veterans are homeless after sevice the country that they love. This is unacceptable. We cannot afford to go to war with Russia and Pakistan like Palin had suggested. Come on how many wars that the republicans want us to fight before they become satisfy.
obama and mccain are tied in NC in a poll released today...why exactly is NC "leaning republican" on your electoral map
That was a brilliant sketch which showed just how low McCain is willing to go to win. Hilarious and couldn't have been more accurate.
DV
Any woman who would vote for McBush-Failin is nuts!!
The guy has no respect for women and she is in some cult religion!
Al Franken -- what a joke.
The real sad part here is some naive Dems who cannot read much less operate a voting machine, are being wooed by Omana
It was hysterical; but, sadly, not that far from the truth. McCain has really lowered himself.
The sad thing is some of those ads sound like something we may hear from Sen McCain in upcoming weeks.
MSM and "responsible" news organizations are tracking Palin like paparazzi and making every attempt to maintain a close race in order to justify 24 hr coverage and create news.
Meanwhile issues are give 15 sec soundbites and we parade the same partisan hacks across the screen every half hour to spin and twist and play one upmanship.
How are Americans supposed to make an informed decision on election day if all we get is mews entertainment and no substance. We have been living on dessert for years now without a main course. News isn't supposed to be exciting, it is supposed to be informative and intelligent.
It is the MSM that has failed America by turning information into 15 sec entertainment blips with no substance and all flash.
hahah
"she has SOOOO much EXPERIENCE."
Typical trash! I wonder why they would do that could it have something to do with the fact they are media related? its disgusting no wonder we cant get any viable canidates to step forward and run for office.
I'm sure the McCain camp will be ultra-annoyed with this. But the problem is that when you get called out by various members in the national media for lying in your ads and campaign speeches, this kind of thing happens.
Quick question for the McCain supporters: Why aren't you more upset with the FACT that McCain insisted months ago that he would only run a "positive" and "upstanding" campaign?
That was yet ANOTHER lie, apparently.