MSNBC Plays Palin SNL Skit Seven Times, Mostly Ignores Obama Parody

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With the vice presidential debate only a few days away, MSNBC gave a lot of attention on Monday to what Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin are doing to prepare for their one and only debate. Along with this, MSNBC also gave a lot of airtime to Tina Fey's "Saturday Night Live" parody of Palin's interview with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, showing clips of the skit seven times between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon. However, only Morning Joe featured "Saturday Night Live's" parody of Senator Barack Obama, and even then the focus was on the portion of the skit which parodied Senator John McCain's "gimmicks."

Of the seven times that MSNBC showed clips from Tina Fey's Palin impersonation, many of them lead into discussion about Palin's lack of foreign policy expertise and comments about how Fey's impersonation could lead to negative effects for McCain's campaign.

Joe Scarborough, host of "Morning Joe," called the parody "devastating," and Willie Geist got in a little jab of his own on Palin after he showed a clip of the skit which ridiculed her opinion on the proposed $700 billion bailout, saying "she looked a little lost there, guys" and later adding, "I'm not sure she quite answered the question there."

Also, during MSNBC's "News Live," host Contessa Brewer asked, "Is this something that the Palin camp is worried about, this image problem that she doesn't know foreign policy?" Tamron Hall also brought up this negative image of Palin and wondered what the McCain camp was doing to counter any negative effects it might have on the campaign. Hall also worried if it is "fair that Joe Biden might be held to a higher standard" in Thursday's debate.

Transcripts of the segments follow:

# Morning Joe, 6:38 a.m.:

JOE SCARBOROUGH, host: I want to show him a clip from "Saturday Night Live." Mike, take a look at this.

AMY POEHLER: What lessons have you learned from Iraq and how specifically would you spread democracy abroad?

TINA FEY: Specifically, we would make every effort possible to spread democracy abroad to those who want it. Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines.

POEHLER: I'm sorry?

FEY: I want to phone a friend.

POEHLER: You don't have any lifelines.

FEY: Well in that case, I'm going to have to get back to ya!

SCARBOROUGH: Oh, no. Mike Barnicle. That was a devastating parody, was it not?

#Morning Joe, 6:55 a.m.:

WILLIE GEIST: Let's go back to Tina Fey and Sarah Palin. It was just a relentless assault on Sarah Palin to open the show "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday. Just coming off the interview with Katie Couric, the CBS interview this week, they recreated it their way. Amy Poehler as Katie Couric asking Tina Fey as Sarah Palin about the bailout. Here's Sarah Palin's answer.

AMY POEHLER: What's your opinion of this potential $700 billion bailout?

TINA FEY: Like every American I'm speaking with, we are ill about this. We're saying, hey, why bail out Fannie and Freddie and not me? But ultimately what the bailout does is help those that are concerned about the healthcare reform that is needed to help shore up our economy to help, um, -- it's got to be all about job creation to, also to shoring up our economy and putting Fannie and Freddie back on the right track and so health care reform and reducing taxes and reigning in spending 'cause Barack Obama, you know.

GEIST: She looked a little lost there, guys.

#Morning Joe, 7:56 a.m.:

WILLIE GEIST: Time for some news you can't use. As I've just mentioned, a busy night upstairs, eighth floor. "Saturday Night Live." They started with Sarah Palin. They rolled out. They were spoofing the Katie Couric interview with Sarah Palin this week. Amy Poehler as Katie Couric. Tina Fey reprising her role as Sarah Palin talking about the bailout package.
AMY POEHLER: What's your opinion of this $700 billion bailout.

TINA FEY: Like every American I'm speaking with, we are ill about this. We're saying, hey, why bail out Fannie and Freddie, and not me? But ultimately what the bailout does is help those that are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy to help, um, -- it's got to be all about job creation, too. Also, too, shoring up our economy and putting Fannie and Freddie back on the right track and so health care reform and reducing taxes and reigning in spending 'cause Barack Obama, you know.

GEIST: I'm not sure she quite answered the question there. It went on like that for several minutes there. Tina Fey again nailing Sarah Palin.

#News Live, 9:11 a.m.:

TAMRON HALL, host: Plus the vice presidential debate. You know it's about Sarah Palin versus Joe Biden. But what about the Palin versus Tina Fey debate?

AMY POEHLER: You went to the U.N. for the first time. How was that experience?

TINA FEY: Oh, you know, it was just amazing. So many interesting people. Though I have to say I was disheartened by how many of them were foreigners. I promise that when Senator McCain and I are elected we're gonna get those jobs back in American hands.

#News Live, 10: 39 a.m.:

CONTESSA BREWER, host: And I know that there was this interesting moment on "Saturday Night Live" with another spoof of Sarah Palin. Play it and talk about it on the other side.

TINA FEY: Oh, you know, it was just amazing. So many interesting people. Though I have to say I was disheartened by how many of them were foreigners. I promise that when Senator McCain and I are elected we're gonna get those jobs back in American hands.

BREWER: And they were joking about Sarah Palin and her reaction to her visit to the United Nations. Is this something that the Palin camp is worried about, this image problem that she doesn't know foreign policy?

#News Live, 11:19 a.m.:

TAMRON HALL, host: Sarah Palin is coming off a bit of a rough week headed into Thursday's debate. First she was widely criticized for struggling through an interview on CBS. And then she was skewered for a second time Saturday Night Live.

AMY POEHLER: What lessons have you learned from Iraq and how specifically would you spread democracy abroad?

TINA FEY: Katie, I'd like to use one of my lifelines.

POEHLER: I'm sorry?

FEY: I want to phone a friend.

POEHLER: You don't have any lifelines.

FEY: Well, in that case I'm just going to have to get back to you.

HALL: But could low expectations actually help Sarah Palin heading into this VP debate? And on the flip side, is it fair that Joe Biden might be held to a higher standard?

#News Live, 11:44 a.m.:

TAMRON HALL, host: But I want to talk to you, Savannah, about this parody on "Saturday Night Live." People are talking about it. The impersonation and what this could mean for the election. Let's take a look at it.

AMY POEHLER: I want to give you one more chance to explain your claim that you have foreign policy experience based on Alaska's proximity to Russia. What did you mean by that?

TINA FEY: Well, Alaska and Russia are only separated by a narrow maritime border. You've got Alaska here. And this right here is water. And then that's, up there's Russia. So we keep an eye on them.

HALL: So, Savannah, we know these politicians watch SNL. You remember when during the debate, Hillary Clinton brought up the SNL skit where she was kinda being treated improperly by the media. But let me ask you about the McCain campaign. What are they doing to fight this image that now is all over YouTube, all over the place and people at work talking about it at the water cooler right now?