I swear to God, I'm not kidding myself

On the right is the REAL Gov. Sarah Palin, while Seth Meyers and Amy Pohler continue to make fools of themselves.

Palin smiles as 'SNL' mocks her anew
By GLEN JOHNSON

After watching "Saturday Night Live" make fun of her from afar, Sarah Palin witnessed it first hand this week as Tina Fey engaged in fiction by depicting her at the news conference the Republican vice presidential nominee has yet to hold.

Later, Palin came on stage during the Weekend Update mock news segment and bobbed to the beat as cast member Amy Poehler performed a rap song the Alaska governor decided was too hardcore for her to perform personally.

"I'm Jeremiah Wright 'cuz I'm the preacher; I got a bookish look and you're all hot for teacher," Poehler rapped as actors dressed as Eskimos, Palin's husband, Todd, and a moose pranced across the stage.

The appearance was anticipated since September, when Fey began portraying Palin just after GOP presidential nominee John McCain selected the little-known governor as his running mate. The two look alike, and Palin remarked that people often told her -- before Fey started portraying her -- that she resembled the actor.

In the show's opening, Fey's impersonation of Palin told a group of reporters, "First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be in front of both the liberal elite media as well as the liberal regular media. I am looking forward to a portion of your questions."

Moments later, the camera cut away to the real Palin watching a television monitor alongside the show's executive producer, Lorne Michaels

"You know, Lorne, I just don't think it's a realistic depiction of the way my press conferences would have gone," Palin said. She said she wished he would have let her do a sketch about "30 Rock," the NBC program in which Fey now stars. That prompted Michaels to deadpan: "Honestly not enough people know that show."

Palin then stood mute as Fey's "30 Rock" co-star, Alec Baldwin came onto the stage, mistook Palin for Fey and pleaded with Michaels not to let the actor go onstage with the governor.

"This is the most important election in our nation's history and you want her, our Tina, to go out there and stand with that horrible woman?" Baldwin said.

When Michaels broke down and introduced him to Palin, Baldwin feigned embarrassment and replied, "I see. Forgive me. I feel I must say this: You are way hotter in person."

Palin got even by saying, "Thank you, and I must say, your brother Stephen is my favorite Baldwin brother."

The camera soon cut back to Fey who answered a question about the polls.

"I don't worry about the polls. Polls are just a fancy way of systematically predicting what's going to happen. The only poll I care about is the North Pole, and that ... is ... melting. It's not great."

The real Palin then walked onto the news conference set, sending Fey fleeing.

"Thank you, thank you," the governor said to applause from the studio audience. "No, I'm not going to take any of your questions, but I do wanted to take this opportunity to say, `Live from New York, it's Saturday Night.'"

It was not immediately clear if McCain, overnighting in Ohio, watched the show, but earlier in the day he told a crowd in Woodbridge, Va., that he thought Fey and Palin were "separated at birth."

Speaking of his running mate, he added, "I know she'll do a great job."

EDIT: Here's Dave Mackey's take about Gov. Palin's guest appearance. He's right about Amy Pohler looking ten months pregnant.

Will the REAL Sarah Palin show up on SNL?

Only time will tell before the Nov. 4th election.

Palin on SNL? With Luck, You Betcha

Gina Serpe Thu Oct 9, 5:15 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - When it comes to Sarah Palin and Saturday Night Live, "Will she or won't she?" is a fair question. "When will she?" is a better one.

Following the lead of the V.P. wannabe herself, SNL puppetmaster Lorne Michaels and Weekend Update anchor/head writer Seth Meyers made the media rounds this week, playing up the possibility that the political cameo to end all political cameos may just come to fruition.

But maybe not just yet.

"Of those specific rumors, there's no truth," Meyers told Newsday of the wishful thinking-fueled reports that Palin will face off against her portrayer Tina Fey on either the Saturday night staple or one of its upcoming prime-time specials.

"We do have an open-door policy, but there's nothing specific yet, but our window of opportunity is before the election...Our doors are always open."

Michaels said much the same thing, adding that all the hype about such a potential showdown is only helping the cause.

"It started as a rumor, but it's getting enough momentum that I think it will be real," he told the Los Angeles Times. "And it's my experience that if people think it will do them some good, they will show up."

SNL itself has been a recent beneficiary, with both its ratings and pop culture relevance skyrocketing in the wake of its Fey-Palin connection, a lucky chance likeness not lost on Michaels.

"I think the gods smiled on us with the Palin thing," he told the New York Times. "If he'd chosen Romney, I think it would be completely different."

As for Palin, schedule permitting, she appears game for the comedic turn.

"I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented," the folksy candidate told reporters of Fey this week. "It would be fun to meet her and keep on giving her new material."

Just don't expect too much of a heads-up prior to her appearance. When it leaked days early that Barack Obama would be appearing on SNL last month only to cancel the day of, it left the venerable comedy show with a bit of a red face.

"I think we looked stupid," Michaels said.

Meanwhile, Palin isn't the only candidate to comment on her late-night portrayal.

When asked by the Today show this week if he had any advice for either the SNL writers or Jason Sudeikis, who played Biden last week, the senator suggested just one tweak.

"I don't have that much hair."

There's a limited amount of time remaining for Palin's or any other candidate's star turn: Just three more new SNLs are set to air before the election, along with three live half-hour Thursday night prime-time specials, the first of which airs tonight.

In addition, the 90-minute Saturday Night Live Presidental Bash 2008, featuring both new and best-of material, will air Nov. 3, the night before the election.