The Blue State

(Video) Obama's cameo on Saturday Night Live

In a skit about Hillary's Halloween Party, the late-night comedy show Saturday Night Live poked fun at all the candidates.  At the very end, someone with an Obama mask walked in.  He took off the mask to reveal that it was the man himself:

HILLARY: Yes, nice to see you Barack.  So you dressed as yourself.

OBAMA: Well you know, Hillary, I have nothing to hide.  I enjoy being myself.

Hillary trying to appear as a bride even though she comes across as a witch.  Very clever script.  It also underscores the most common criticism of Hillary Clinton's debate performance.  She gave so many different positions that left viewers wondering, "Who is the real Hillary?"  Again, the script fit perfectly.

Lastly, SNL is watched by a very wide audience -- perfect for Obama, in terms of exposure.

Cartoon: Brainless: Life After Rove

(click for larger view)

By Andrew Wahl of the Wenatchee World

Each week for the last two years, cartoonist Andrew Wahl has submitted a political toon to The Blue State blog.  After a brief summer hiatus, he's back!

(Video) Hayes: Bush Administration never called anyone a traitor

Jon Stewart is one funny man -- we all know that.  But sometimes you can tell when guests get under his skin.  Last night, Stephen F. Hayes -- author of the book Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President -- was on.  Around the end of the interview, as you'll see, Stewart was noticeably irked when Hayes claimed that neither Cheney nor any prominent conservative insinuated that any American opposing the war was a traitor.

Stewart even lashed out at Fox News' Jon Gibson.  Just days ago, the Fox host labeled Stewart a phony when he broke down in tears after 9/11:

STEWART: Then stop making the rest of us feel like idiots when we question their strategy in the war on terror ...and I don't mean you, I mean them.  I think they've gone out of their way to seemingly belittle people, you know -- he's actually literally come out and said if you don't elect us, we might get hit again.  To me, that is -- I can't jibe the portrait you paint of the steadfast leader with the fear-mongering, not bright guy that I have seen.

HAYES: Yeah, but I, no really, I mean isn't that essentially the case of what this debate has been since 2001?

STEWART: No.  They keep saying that we don't understand the nature of this war.  And critics keep saying, "We do understand the nature of it, you've just been doing it wrong."

HAYES: Yeah, so why -- what is the quality of difference there?

STEWART: Well no, the difference there is we're not calling them traitors.

HAYES: Yeah, but I don't think the Administration has called anybody a traitor.

It's easy to down-play rhetoric when you are the one dishing it out.  But when your patriotism gets personally challenged, as mine has and maybe all of you as well, it's like a punch to the gut.  And we're done putting up with it.

(Video) Jackie and Dunlap bash Joe Biden in parody music video

Jackie and Dunlap, who became famous overnight on Youtube for their portrayal of red state America, released a music video that targets Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

The beef started after a question that Jackie and Dunlap asked about Al Gore was featured during the Youtube debate last month.  Responding to the comedians, who speak in a heavy southern accent, Biden joked, "I think the people of Tennessee just had their feelings hurt."

So this music video is intended as payback for Biden.  It's called "fightin' Joe Biden":

Weird?  Yes.  Good Friday humor?  Of course.

Bush-Cheney '08 -- a fictional but true hypothetical

Even though this is strictly hypothetical, it would work.  You really think Congress would stop them?  Have they been able to yet?

Obama Girl music video explodes into hit

Some things have 'mega hit' written all over them.  Judging from the positive media buzz that this clever piece has created for Obama, it is becoming one. 

The amateur video titled "I Got a Crush on Obama", which ABC News reports has suddenly grabbed the attention of the campaigns, is quickly becoming a political vacuum on the internet as we approach the long summer months.  A 24-year-old Phillies fan from Hazeltown, calling herself Obama Girl, released the video through her site Barely Political.  This attractive Obama fanatic expressed her love for the Chicago Democrat during a three-minute self-directed musical performance now on Youtube.

If you can, while sharing a laugh, watch the whole thing.  It gets better after the first 30 seconds.  When you contrast this video with George Allen's Macaca moment last year, it is exactly the kind of humor that helps a campaign.

It is certainly playing well with younger audiences, which is very important because a record-breaking number of adults within the 18 to 29 age demographic are expected to volunteer between September and January for their favorite presidential candidates.  The more volunteers each campaign can get on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire, obviously the more of an advantage they will have in the final weeks.  In other words, it is very important in the long, boring summer months to excite young voters and motivate them to stand up and get involved.

Maybe most significantly, the video underscores the impact that average citizens can have in today's personalized political era, which would never have been possible eight years ago.

Premiere of 'Lil' Bush' tonight

The new cartoon Lil' Bush premieres tonight at 10:30p/11:30c on Comedy Central.  Critics have been giving this show excellent reviews.  It's about Beltway Elementary School, where all the politicians that are now in power attended when they were younger.  Even characters like Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama make cameos.  Do not miss it!

Here are some clips to give you an idea what this show is like.

April Fools

April fools!

• We spent half-trillion dollars on a war that killed over 3,000 U.S. soldiers, and our motives for going in there were baseless.  (Common knowledge, so no link required!)
• The National Debt has gone up nearly 10% over the last six years.
• North Korea has more of a capacity to build more nuclear weapons during Bush's presidency than they did under Clinton.
• Osama bin Laden has not been captured.  (Again, common knowledge!)
• The Administration outed a covert CIA agent that happened to be investigating Iranian weapons proliferation.
• The Attorney General lied under oath.
• Dick Cheney thinks homegrown, good ol' American free speech emboldens the enemy.
• The government can violate Article I, Section IX of the U.S. Constitution to detain anyone indefinitely that is considered a threat.

Oops.  This is April 2nd.  I guess it's not April fools after all.

(Video) What we call the News

From Jib-Jab.  Enjoy:

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Hillary Gets the South Park Treatment

Comedy Central is set to air what could be a classic South Park episode this Wednesday, March 28, at 10PM EST.  The episode, called "The Snuke," stars Hillary Clinton as she prepares for a campaign rally in South Park.

Comedy Central's synopsis:

"Cartman suspects the new Muslim student is behind a terrorist threat.... The clock is ticking as the citizens prepare for Hillary Clinton'sbig campaign rally. Every minute counts as Cartman uses his own methodsto interrogate the suspect. But could the plan to target HillaryClinton be just the tip of the iceberg?"

One never knows which way South Park will slant from week to week.  They've made their share of both liberal and conservative attacks which - at least in my opinion - makes them one of the most consistently credible places to get good satire.

I'll be curious to watch the episode on more than just an entertainment level - I'll be curious to see what kind of boost/slump Hillary might get after being targeted.  Of course, the primary concern will be whether she's playfully ridiculed or actually attacked in the episode. 

Additionally though, will the show's prime audience (which is of course 18-24 males) become more or less interested in the '08 Presidential run after being seeing the perspective.  Even a negative episode could give her a boost if she's willing to laugh it off and perhaps even address it.