SNL Writer Surprised By Clinton Remark
Ordered To Write More
Huffington Post
by David Bauder
The skit about an Obama-Clinton debate featured a lovestruck press corps fawning over Barack Obama, while treating Clinton as an annoyance in their way. A fictional Campbell Brown fanned herself in excitement after an Obama answer, while a John King impersonator suggested he had “nailed it.”
Downey stayed up for the midnight rerun of MSNBC’s Tuesday debate just to see what she had said.
“That usually doesn’t happen unless it resonates,” said Downey, “so that’s nice. It’s good for the show.”
Downey is an original “Saturday Night Live” writer who’s also been head writer for David Letterman. He’s been back at “SNL” since 2000, when he wrote skits about Bush-Gore debates; and he’s been the lead writer at the comedy show on political material since then.
He said it’s hard to recall a more dazzling political personality than Obama in his lifetime.
Still, Downey can’t help but notice how many people in the news media have been seduced by the Illinois senator. The Clinton campaign has expressed frustration that it is getting a tougher ride from the press.
