Comics have field day with debate

LOS ANGELES — The vice presidential debate was the toast — make that roast — of late-night television, and that was before the event was held.

Shows produced earlier than the match between Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden at Washington University in St. Louis on Thursday made sport out of guessing at the outcome.

"Tonight, a debate between candidates for the most powerful office in the land: Dick Cheney's," said Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report."

"As for Sarah Palin, she hit it out of the park. Or as they say in Wasilla, she hit it all the way to Russia," Colbert said. "Now, it is possible this is not how things panned out tonight. Could be the media is focusing on some small misstep, like Gov. Palin referring to people from Pakistan as alpacas."

David Letterman's "Late Show" top 10 list was comprised of "Surprises in the Vice Presidential Debate," including, "First for Palin: 'Why the hell do you keep agreeing to talk to Katie Couric,"' "Biden's insistence that from his house in Delaware he can see Russia" and, at No. 1, "Palin mentioned bombing Iran, Pakistan and Tina Fey."

Jimmy Kimmel on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" encouraged audience participation.

"It's not too late, by the way, to text your votes. I voted four times for Sarah Palin and six times for David Archuleta," Kimmel said.

Political experts said Palin needed to demonstrate that her concerns matched those of everyday Americans, according to Conan O'Brien of NBC's "Late Night."

"For instance, Palin planned to start the debate by saying she's really troubled by John McCain's choice for vice president," he said.

The late-night comedians weren't finished.

"The vice presidential debate between Sarah Palin and — does it really matter who else? Joe Biden, Joe Lieberman, Joe Pesci, Joe Piscopo, Jo-Mother," said Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

In more political comedy from Thursday's late-night television, Jay Leno on NBC's "Tonight" show said, "The bailout bail — I'm sorry, the rescue bill — has grown to 450 pages. President Bush's copy is even thicker because they had to add pictures. You know: trucks and dragons. Spaceships."

Leno also quipped: "This is kind of interesting: According to a recent poll, 61 percent of people surveyed said they'd rather see Sarah Palin in a bikini than Pamela Anderson. Although 99 percent said they'd rather see Pamela Anderson as vice president."

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