SNL Writers: Sarah Palin Was A ‘Once In A Lifetime’ Gift

The writers and actors at “Saturday Night Live’ are afraid that they’ll never be able to reach the comedic heights they achieved during the 2008 presidential campaign when John McCain brought in the momma grizzly from Alaska. Sure, they had some fun with GOP candidates like Newt Gingrich and Pizza man Herman Cain, but now that it’s coming down to a two man race between straight man Mitt Romney and incumbent President Obama, the SNL writers are hoping for a comedic gift like Sarah Palin.

Jim Downey, a longtime writer at “SNL,” told the NY Times:

“I don’t think it’s going to be as much fun as 2000 and 2008. When you have an incumbent president, it’s not wholly new. And because of the long Republican primary debate stretch, I’m already tired of Romney. I wish there could be a crazy brokered convention with someone we’ve never heard of to keep it fresh. But you don’t get a gift like Sarah Palin very often, and I’m sure it’ll never happen again.”

As Mitt Romney looks sure to grab the GOP nomination, the writers at “SNL” are hoping that he picks a charismatic and gaffe prone running mate.

Seth Meyers said:

“Comedy writers are incredibly promiscuous, and we want as many targets as possible. Sarah Palin was a once-in-a-lifetime situation. She was incredibly magnetic and came with a built-in catchphrase.”

Here are some clips of Sarah Palin on SNL.

“SNL” won’t be getting a Sarah Palin this year but they aren’t too disappointed with Mitt Romney sticking around for at least a few more months.

Meyers said:

“The fun thing with Mitt Romney is, here’s a guy who has to look in the mirror every day and see that he looks exactly the way a president should look,” Meyers said, and yet he can’t catch fire… There’s a creepy youth minister kind of squareness to him, especially combined with that goofy eagerness to please. People are perfectly willing to accept people different from them as long as they don’t try to pretend otherwise.”

Who do you think will be SNL’s comedic gift for the 2012 election season?