The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘Mitt Romney’ On SNL: Among The Stranger Campaign Ads Of All Time

Posted on | November 20, 2011 | 41 Comments

by Smitty

Last night’s SNL campaign ad is pure Mitt. Superficially, the ad is about how stiff and un-funny Mitt is. Jason Sudeikis doesn’t go far enough in capturing the slightly congested, Brokaw-esque diction that helps me understand why some people really don’t care for Sarah Palin’s accent, either (she bothers me not).

So, I theorize:

  • Romney paid for this space. We have here an appeal to the SNL’s hipster viewership.
  • The message is that, while as exciting as watching the lawn grow, Mitt is not stone-cold scary, like the rest of the GOP field.
  • If you just put your trust in Mitt, you can return to your rationally ignorant ways about politics with no ill effects.
  • Mitt’s new Double-Action Boringness is so boring that he can bore conservatives into believing he will repeal ObamaCare during the election. Stage Two Boring kicks in when he does not repeal repeal ObamaCare, but rather re-labels it and has it hidden in other boring bills so that the velvet handcuffs which have been such a great success in Europe continue to tighten on American wrists and ankles. That, folks, isn’t just boring: it’s Mitt Strength Boring.

Does this work?

I guess we’ll find out, when the independents cross over, Operation Chaos style, and vote for Mitt in GOP primaries. Meanwhile, a quick bit of Wikipedia research reveals that Gingrich was supposed to host an episode around 14 years ago. Could Newt rock him some SNL? If they brought in Doug Hoffman for a sketch, would Stacy McCain’s head ‘splode? What about Michele Bachmann hosting? I think she would be surprisingly good. However, if you watch a lot of SNL, you soon discover that if the cast doesn’t respect the host, they phone in the episode in a subtle way.

Category: Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Video

Comments

41 Responses to “‘Mitt Romney’ On SNL: Among The Stranger Campaign Ads Of All Time”

  1. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 9:58 am

    However, if you watch a lot of SNL, you soon discover that if the cast doesn’t respect the host, they phone in the episode in a subtle way.

    If you have been watching it lately, it seems like the cast does not respect themselves either.  They have been phoning it all in. 

  2. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 10:14 am

    If only Romney could be as “exciting” as the 135 pound sewer rat currently occupying the White House. Then maybe he’d have a shot. Leading in the polls is a big problem. He obviously needs to change what he’s doing so that….wait. What?

  3. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 10:16 am

    “Mitt’s new Double-Action Boringness is so boring that he can bore conservatives into believing he will repeal ObamaCare”

    Does Romney have a history of not doing what he says he’ll do? From whence comes this fashionable fiction that he’s not a man of his word?

  4. Pathfinder
    November 20th, 2011 @ 10:17 am

    On point except for one error:  I’m an independent, and I won’t be crossing over to vote in the GOP primaries to cause chaos (unless of course what you mean by chaos is a, probably in vain, attempt to keep the GOP from nominating somebody like Romney).

    Some of us independents chose to become so out of extreme disgust for both major parties (see the velvet handcuffs comment, coupled with the propaganda campaign both parties engage in to create divisions within the body of the electorate and occupied with their tribal antagonisms, all the while both parties apply said handcuffs — some of us see this and are none too happy).  Some of us became independents are desirous of anyone who will support, uphold, and defend the Constitution and will work for the people in as fair, equitable, and wise a manner as possible — we just don’t think either party has a lot of those people (if any) in them, but if they are there we will vote for them.  We’re sick of the push to antagonism rather than working on the actual problems.

    This is a mistake that the left makes too (I read comments on their sites vis a vis independents that are exactly the same as the ones on conservative sites): every independent is somehow a squishy, indecisive moron  who must be seduced like the proverbial homecoming bimbo and then disdainfully kicked to the side after giving up the vote nookie.
    This is a mistake of over generalization and displays a great deal of  cognitive dissonance of the thing and a corresponding lack of tactical awareness in how to successfully address said entity: we left both parties because both parties left us.

  5. ThePaganTemple
    November 20th, 2011 @ 10:36 am

    Who gives a crap about SNL anyway? I never watch it. I hate their skits, I hate their “jokes” and I hate everybody on the goddamn thing. Get that damn thing off the air. I especially hate how when they do political skits and somebody says something “funny” he’ll stop and talk in an aside manner about what it means and why what they’re referring to is so stupid, just to make sure you get it. Palin never should have went on there. It’s just another fucking leftist cesspool that needs to be drained.

  6. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 10:59 am

    But Pathfinder, when I think independents, I immediately of constitutionists who want to deal with people in a fair, equitable and wise manner…or NOT.  What does that even mean?  Come on dude, who talks like that?  Let me guess….hmmmm….oh I know, a sockpuppet leftist trying to pretend to be an independent. 

  7. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:00 am

    It is a comedy show.  That is not that funny.  When it is funny I watch it.  When it is boring I turn it off. 

  8. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:04 am

    I suspect that rat is about 30 or 40 lbs more than that.

  9. ThePaganTemple
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:17 am

    It used to be funny at one time, then it got to the point where ninety percent of the material was filler. And I’m reasonably enough sure its still that way, at best, I’m not wasting any more time with it. It’s not because they’re leftists, its just because they’re not fucking funny PLUS they’re leftists to boot. I used to enjoy reading Wonkette back three or four years ago when it was actually funny. Then it went to hell in pretty much the same way SNL did, only in their case they went that extra mile to where it seems they don’t even care enough any more to even try to be funny.

  10. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:40 am

    You are not missing much and if by some accident it is ever funny, I will let you know to check out the clip at Hulu. 

  11. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:42 am

    Actually Juan Williams said on FNS that Newt’s rise is not really about Newt, it is about Romney.  Dissatisfaction with Romney. 

  12. Christy Waters
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:12 pm

    I always feel like I’m watching an old driver’s ed. film whenever I hear Mitt Romney speak.

    That skit wasn’t very funny, but SNL hasn’t been funny since Chris Farley died. If they really wanted to play it up, they should’ve put a control panel in his back.

  13. Pathfinder
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:16 pm

    Or maybe it’s somebody who actually believes in those things — and had a mom and dad who made them do “Pays to Enrich Your Word Power” on sick days from school.

    But thanks for making my point about people jumping to conclusions, labelling, and ostracizing if they think they hear a hint of a dog whistle (which in this case would probably be my being honest about being an independent, disdaining both parties, and openly stating what I believe in.  Guess I should have said I was a rock ribbed card carrying GOP member whose just happy as a pig in slop to be voting ABO, and then made some well worn joke about the OWs.  Would that have made me a “not leftist sockpuppet”?

    And thanks for making my point about some in the GOP have no idea who the independents really are (yes, there are some squishes, but there are a number of us who became independents because the GOP had turned squishy — which they have by the way, in my opinion of course….sockpuppet though it is…you probably shouldn’t pay it any heed as it’s clearly a trap for unsuspecting Republicans).

  14. ThePaganTemple
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:23 pm

    The last thing I saw that was actually funny, and I mean really funny, was a Halloween skit called “Vincent Price’s Halloween Special”. It was really good, good enough I embedded it on my blog. Unfortunately, I think the dickwads at NBC disabled it.

  15. smitty
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:49 pm

    I explained it in the post. One anticipates that Mitt, a man of his word, will repeal ObamaCare, and then proceed to shove it where we sit, piecewise, under different names in other legislation.
    In other word’s Romney’s commitment to liberty and limited government is at issue, not his capacity to get legislation passed saying one thing, while his Administration does mostly the opposite.

  16. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:51 pm

    ” One anticipates that Mitt, a man of his word, will repeal ObamaCare,
    and then proceed to shove it where we sit, piecewise, under different
    names in other legislation.”

    And on what other than your imagination is that supposition based?

  17. smitty
    November 20th, 2011 @ 12:52 pm

    I’m telling you: this was a campaign ad.

  18. Christy Waters
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:02 pm

    He should get his money back.

  19. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:13 pm

    And on what other than your imagination is that supposition based?

     A close study of Romney’s track record. 

  20. Joe
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:16 pm

    What is funny Pathfinder is you engaging in sloppy cliche prone prejudicial thinking and then immediately get defensive when I question your “indie” credentials.  Maybe you are for real.  If so, then you need to really work on having some substantive positions. 

  21. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:18 pm

    So he has a”track record” of being duplicitous? Of being a liar? Of betraying people who vote for him? What  did he do? Point something out. What is it?

  22. Professor Why
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:25 pm

    Wow… This skit is considered funny? Maybe to the braindead masses who regularly watch this regurgitated slime on Saturday nights, but I don’t see the humor… (and no, I’m not a Romney person… HELL no!)

  23. smitty
    November 20th, 2011 @ 1:32 pm

    If you can find humor in deliberately failed attempts at humor, sure. Hence the fact I’m contending this is a campaign ad.

  24. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 2:00 pm

    Independent? Of what? Intellect? If in the year 2011, you are on the fence between the republican and democrat parties, you’re either mentally retarded or you simply like the way the word independent sounds when you use it to describe yourself.

  25. ThePaganTemple
    November 20th, 2011 @ 2:38 pm

    I haven’t watched it, and won’t, but I’m going to guess that what is supposed to make it “funny” is that it’s a put-down of Republicans in general. Remember, this is mostly a leftist audience, both at home and in the live audience. Therefore, if a character was to say something like say “Republicans are so stupid and evil they should all die” you would probably hear not a few audience members go “HEE-YAAAAWWW HAHAHAHAAAAAA”. Because you see, it’s not so much that its funny as that is promotes a leftist social conscousness in the guise of “humor”. Think of a perverse version of the old saying “virute is its own reward”.

  26. smitty
    November 20th, 2011 @ 3:06 pm

    Hey, thanks for not watching. Your supposition may have some merit, but if you don’t actually watch the thing, then you can’t rate the validity of my point.

  27. ThePaganTemple
    November 20th, 2011 @ 3:24 pm

    The only thing about that which was slightly funny was the bit about “I rinsed that tea cup right out”. Otherwise, the PSA about Meth recovery might have been slightly funnier. As to your point, if it is that this was supposed to be a pro-Romney ad to encourage the audience to vote for him in the primaries, I think you’re reading way too much into it. These people are political activists by nature, and they assume their audience wants this brand of political humor. They actually thought this was knee-slapping hilarious. If anything, it was probably more of a dig at Cain and Perry. And as for who they would like to see win the nomination, they would probably be more likely to encourage people to vote for Huntsman, who actually appeared in person on the Weekend Update segment.

  28. Anonymous
    November 20th, 2011 @ 3:47 pm

    Let’s see:

    For global warming and carbon caps, then against it… maybe.
    For Obamacare including the mandates, then against it, then splitting the difference with “it was good when I did it, but not Obama.”

    Pick a topic, any topic. And Gingrich isn’t any better, except he admits sometimes he made a mistake.

  29. Adjoran
    November 20th, 2011 @ 3:58 pm

    70, wearing a cement overcoat.  Not that I advocate any particular fashion statements.

  30. Adjoran
    November 20th, 2011 @ 4:00 pm

    No, this is the “New Conservatism” where the mere imagination of an offense is enough to charge with RINOism, convict, and execute.

  31. smitty
    November 20th, 2011 @ 4:56 pm

    RomneyCare.
    Mitt is in the uncomfortable position of having a centerpiece of legislation that he cannot, will not repudiate, which is antithetical to liberty.
    The only way I could have been enthusiastic about Mitt is if he had had a come-to-Hayek moment and gone full Tea Party. He could have been Ron Paul with a realistic foreign policy.
    Instead we have a very shrewd (I think this SNL Cold Open demonstrates that point), centrist fellow, playing ball control offense when some serious, gutsy play is required.
    Does Mitt take the GOP nomination? Quite reasonably likely. Is he going to catch more heat from the right than BHO ever did from the left, should he emerge the nominee? Why, yes: yes, he will. Asbestos knickers are the Christmas gift for Mitt this year. That booty gonna need ’em.

  32. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 5:25 pm

    “Mitt is in the uncomfortable position of having a centerpiece of
    legislation that he cannot, will not repudiate, which is antithetical to
    liberty.”

    Antithetical to liberty? It’s antithetical to liberty to obey the will of the voters who elected you? In what retarded universe does that make sense? Romney had nothing to do with crafting that legislation, anyway. He pared it down as much as he was able. Massachusetts doesn’t have a king. He’s already said he’ll end Obama’s health care regime. The onus is on you people to demonstrate that he has a history of being a liar. Hell, you could even do it here on this very bloog. Tell everyone how Romney is a liar and give evidence to support your assertion. That’s all.

    “when some serious, gutsy play is required.”

    Which is evidenced by what? He’s walking away with the nomination for Godsake. And he’s supposed to change why?

    You Romney haters really don’t have much on the docket.  Might as well say he has cooties or some such.

  33. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 5:33 pm

    So he has grown more conservative over time and should therefore be shit canned by conservatives?

    What is it like to be that goddam stupid? Does it itch?

  34. Anonymous
    November 20th, 2011 @ 5:46 pm

    The only stupid person is you for believing that “this time he’s changed, for sure” same as any other beaten wife.

  35. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 6:03 pm

    What wife did he beat? What did he do? Your hatred is irrational. It’s baseless.

  36. Bob Belvedere
    November 20th, 2011 @ 7:13 pm

    How about his record of judicial appointments while Governor?
    http://www.rightspeak.net/2011/03/romneys-spotty-record-on-judicial.html

  37. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:27 pm

    So he was supposed to kill every man in Lago? Does the governor in Massachusetts decree someone a judge or is there more to it than that?

    Chime in whenever you’re ready to be something other than completely full of shit.

  38. chuck coffer
    November 20th, 2011 @ 11:33 pm

    What did he do??

  39. Adjoran
    November 21st, 2011 @ 3:53 am

    The facts show that most of the “independent swing voters” are indeed disengaged, and liable to swing back and forth on the thinnest of rationales.  They voted heavily for Obama, for crying out loud, a man of no experience or accomplishment at all.

    Stats show roughly 60% are Democrat-leaning and 40% are Republican-leaning, but these allegiances are quite misleading as most independents are affected by late events rather than party ID or ideology.  These are the folks who decide who to vote for in the last month or week before the election.

    I don’t doubt you are not of this ilk, but you are in a small minority of “independents” as currently counted.

  40. Pathfinder
    November 21st, 2011 @ 7:01 am

    Then the big question is why have so many Democrat leaning people become swing voters, no?  To me that posits the notion that many of them were at one time full Democrats, but something has caused them to become disillusioned with their party.  Then the second question becomes: why haven’t they switched party affiliation?  The Republican party has seemingly tried to court these people with offering up “moderates”,  and that hasn’t really worked, now has it? (in the process alienating people such as myself)
    So, what would be the thing that would get these people to engage?

    I don’t really know what the answer is, but I’m not sure it’s because they are altogether uncaring of how the country is run and are at a loss as to which party truly represents them (let’s face it: when you have Democrats that have run on platforms to the right of Republicans, you are through the looking glass, which has happened in recent elections — now the Dems have completely done away with any semblance of their blue dogs, and their base has shrunk…but the Republicans haven’t picked these people up either, perhaps because so many became Democrats by another name and the only time they even seem conservative is when they toss out red meat, hyper partisan slogans to their base, which they don’t have any intention of following up on?).

    All I know is, for someone such as myself, I’m sick of the GOP — I’ve had it; their only advantage is that the Democrats are so much worse .  Most of the Democrats I know from work and the neighborhood are sick of their party as well; they’ve had it — but the GOP doesn’t look too great to them either.  The common denominator appears to be — nobody thinks either party has the country’s best interests at heart and are filled with people just wanting to get their tickets punched.  Granted, I live in flyover country, so that may make a difference.

  41. Bob Belvedere
    November 21st, 2011 @ 8:39 am

    We have no idea what lives in that hair of his, Chuckie.