Real McCain joins fake Palin on "Saturday Night Live"
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The real John McCain and the fake Sarah Palin traded jokes on Saturday as the Republican presidential candidate took a break from the campaign trail to appear on the comedy TV show "Saturday Night Live."
With the election only three days away, McCain joked that he might resort to a strategy called "the double maverick."
"That's where I go totally beserker and freak everybody out, even the regular mavericks," he said.
McCain poked fun at his cash-strapped campaign and got in a few digs at rival Barack Obama in the show's opening skit with actress Tina Fey, whose impersonation of McCain's running mate Palin has helped the NBC show enjoy healthy ratings this fall.
McCain joked that while Obama had purchased a half-hour block of airtime on all the major TV networks last week, his campaign could only afford an appearance on the home-shopping channel QVC.
"Would I rather be on three major networks? Of course. But I'm a true maverick, a Republican without money," McCain said.
"When you go to the polls on Tuesday, remember: Country first. As a reminder, all undergarments are nonrefundable," he said.
McCain and Fey hawked blank plates to commemorate the debates that Obama had declined to participate in this summer, "pork knives" to help cut out wasteful spending, and "fine gold" necklaces displayed by his wife, Cindy, in honor of the McCain-Feingold law that limited money in politics.
They also offered a talking doll of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden.
"Great if you want to clear out a party," McCain said.
"Or keep elk out of your yard," Fey added.
The show was hosted by actor Ben Affleck, who joked that his longtime support of losing Democratic presidential candidates has led him to endorse McCain this year.
Palin herself appeared on the show on October 18, drawing its largest audience since 1994.
McCain last appeared on "Saturday Night Live" in May, joking about his age and urging Obama and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton to prolong their battle for the Democratic nomination.
He also hosted the show in 2002.
(Editing by Eric Beech)
