Dear Tina

I have been a fan for some time. I always thought you had a knack for comedy; I love “30 rock”. Your third Sarah palin impersonation on SNL on October 4, 2008, however, was lacking in creativity. Your performance was nothing more than a mocking of Governor Sarah Palin. A second grader could mock Gov. Palin. Your portrayal of Gov. Palin’s debate performance against Sen. Biden just wasn’t satire – it was mocking ridicule; a type of humor reserved for b-rate gossip webpages. While the situation was appropriate for satire, the skit just was not funny.

Specifically, your act is tired. The first time you did Gov. Sarah was amusing because it was so uncanny. The second time it was simply informative of what happened at the Katie Couric interview. This third time I expected more than just clever winking. Use your creative writing skills and put some satire into it. For instance, the funniest part of your act on October 4, was the reference to a “Maverick” drinking game. Maybe instead of simply mocking Gov. Palin, you can have her be the host of a talk show called “Mavericks!” and let her Maverick her guests into submission. How about “Hunting and Fishing Gov. Palin”. It would be a fish out of water type skit with the sexy Gov. Palin shooting animals; SNL can use that fake blood they love so much and cover you in it as you pretend to be Gov. Palin skinning a moose in high heels and a mini-skirt. The humor would mask the blatent sexism.

That makes me think … where is the Obama satire? Aren’t you the one who said “bitch is the new black“?

TINA FEY: You know what, bitches get stuff done. That’s why Catholic schools use nuns as teachers and not priests. Those nuns are mean old clams and they sleep on cots and they’re allowed to hit you. And at the end of the school year you hated those bitches but you knew the capital of Vermont. So, I’m saying it’s not too late Texas and Ohio, bitch is the new black!

Don’t kid yourself…John McCain just put all his chips on the table and rolled the dice.

Over the past many months, McCain’s team had skillfully underscored the natural impressions of Americans – that Barak Obama was the lightweight in the race; the candidate of risk.  Now, with a single stroke McCain has undercut his most effective argument. He has weakened his case for wisdom and experience, and elevated a one-term governor of a small-population state based on her gender.

McCain had plenty of safe choices. Choices that would have bolstered Americans’ inherent understanding of McCain’s competency and ability; choices that would have underscored the longstanding notion that whatever gimmick the Democrats try, the Republican Party remains the serious one.

With the electorate evenly split, McCain’s first job was to pick a competent running mate that would not undermine his standing, and would reassure voters that should something happen to the oldest man ever to be nominated for president, a competent, experienced leader, ready to serve as commander-in-chief in a time of war, was waiting in the wings.

The former Miss Congeniality, and hockey mom from “the last frontier” is a bizarre choice.

McCain’s pick today has all the hallmarks of a political gimmick and a hail-Mary pass. While it is likely to excite some conservatives, his choice will refocus the entire campaign away from Obama’s status as a political neophyte and will reshuffle the risk calculus in the favor of the increasingly familiar, and always-eloquent Obama. With Biden on the ticket, Obama has lessened the sense that he poses a serious danger to the electorate. McCain’s selection by contrast is likely to shake voters and cast uncertainty on the wisdom and safety of a McCain presidency.

With competent and proven individuals waiting in the wings (such as Governor Mitt Romney), the selection of Sarah Palin is a most unfortunate choice. 

John McCain may have just lost the 2008 election…cue the hurricane.