Tina Fey Is On Her Way "To Ruining Sarah Palin's Political Career"

Oh the New York Post, will your clever wordplay never cease? This morning the erudite paper of record wonders whether Sarah Palin has been "swift-butted" because for weeks now, she's been the butt of Tina Fey's jokes. "Tina Fey is well on her way to ruining Sarah Palin's political career," according to Lawrence University American Studies prof Jerald Podair. "In a political culture that takes its cues from popular culture, a good impersonator may be worth a million votes." But, as Conn College government professor Dorothy James points out, Tina Fey can only work with what Palin gives her. "Jokes and impersonations only leave lasting damage if they resonate with existing narratives the voter internalized," James says.

John Pitney Jr. a professor of American Politics at Claremont, says that SNL unfairly maligned Gerald Ford in the 70s, and perhaps Chevy Chase's satirical portrait of Ford as a bumbling loser affected the American imagination. "People remember Gerald Ford through the prism of Chevy Chase. Ford was among our most athletic presidents, and he had a wide-ranging knowledge of public-policy issues. But because of 'SNL,' many came to think of him as a buffoon." Um, maybe they think of him as a buffoon because he pardoned Nixon, and hired both Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney as his Chiefs of Staff, not because Chevy Chase played him as someone who fell down a lot.

Anyway! Another professorial pundit, Lauren Feldman of American University, tells UPI that even if Palin does appear on SNL as has been rumored, it probably wouldn't help her political career. "Appearances on late-night comedy shows are useful for candidates as a means to project their non-political personas, to make them seem more 'human' and in-touch with voters. Palin is not necessarily lacking in these areas," Feldman says. "She would benefit more from a strong, substantive performance in a more serious setting."

Tina Fey's impressions may have "swift-butted" Palin's career, but they've been gangbusters for Fey's public profile. The New York Times wonders why the season premiere of Fey's 30 Rock is being held until October 30th, and NBC Entertainment co-chair Ben Silverman says, “If we knew [when we were planning the network schedule] what we know today about how hot Tina was going to be, would we do it differently? Maybe." See we thought Sarah Palin wasn't good for anything, but she might have inadvertently saved the critically acclaimed 30 Rock from the ratings basement.

Palin Falls Prey To Fey [NY Post]
Tina Fey's Impersonations May Have Impact [UPI]
It’s Easy To Find Tina Fey On TV, But Not Her Show [NY Times]

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