Does Humor Belong In Politics?

This week we will be treated with countless video replays of Tina Fey's latest appearance on Saturday Night Live. Or rather, we will be treated to countless video replays of her doppelganger, Sarah Palin. She showed up on the late night comedy show to prove what a good sport she is, and how funny she is. The good news is that she may have a career in show business when this is all over, since she looked a whole lot more comfortable than Mark Wahlberg.
That being said, I am sure that there are plenty of die-hard Democrats wondering when their candidate would get the same treatment. What about equal time on the airwaves and all that good stuff? First of all, Palin's appearance was just another in a long and storied tradition of Republicans showing up on comedy shows to prove that they have a sense of humor. Remember Dick Nixon asking the musical question, "Sock it to me?" on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In?" How about getting Gerald Ford to tape the intro, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" for the show his press secretary Ron Nessen's hosting gig? And even though one could debate the comedy of a very special episode of "Diff'rent Strokes," Nancy Reagan showed up in all her "just say no" glory to set Arnold straight on the importance of trickle-down economics.
Earlier this week, both of the Senators showed up at annual the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a charity event organized by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York for the benefit of needy children. Both men had some very funny things to say about themselves and each other, and they helped raise a lot of money. The next day, they went back to work. John McCain showed up on David Letterman, looking much less at ease. Barack Obama took his act on the road. I hear he's going to be working the big room in D.C. in a few weeks.