Did you watch Saturday Night Live? Ben Affleck was lame. John McCain was funny. Cindy McCain was the funniest(!). The ending was strangely awkward. But you know what wasn't as funny as it should've been? The Keith Olbermann sketch. Ben Affleck's "Keith Olbermann" impression was basically his "Alec Baldwin" except louder. The sketch lasted forever and wasn't funny until the "special comment" at the end, which should've been the sum total of the bit (watch the whole thing after the jump, kids!). But apparently John McCain thought it was the best! The McCain campaign was delighted with the absurd bit, and said it was "about time" that SNL mocked MSNBC's most indignant anchoir. So of course Ana Marie Cox emailed Olbermann himself for his response to the McCain camp's response to his getting made fun of on a tee-vee show. He responded faux-good-naturedly and also had some secret sexy news about Sarah Palin going rogue!

SNL and my Football Night In America show share adjoining studios, so upon my arrival yesterday, awaiting me was one of the cue cards from the bit, with Ben writing of the sketch: "Keith - Remember, a) I didn't write this; b) it took years of study - fondly, Ben." As to the giddiness: Honestly, everybody deserves a laugh but if on the weekend before the presidential election they spent more than seven seconds bothering with ME, the campaign staff has even less of a clue than I thought. Also, what's this "about time" jazz? Since spring they've been trying to cajole, sweet-talk, bully, threaten, blackmail, and bribe everybody at NBC from the pages to the presidents to get the milquetoast coverage they want - especially to shut me down. Then McCain spoiled his otherwise impeccable performance at the Al Smith dinner with that angry-old-man bit about me. They have helped bury their own guy in the polls and helped me pass O'Reilly in the ratings. So, seriously, if they'd like to spend any part of the penultimate day talking about me I'll send them all fruit baskets of gratitude. One last SNL thing: I'll be reporting the details on this tonight. ask them why Governor Palin didn't say her first line as scripted three shows ago. As they pulled back from the monitor shot of Tina doing the impression she was supposed to compliment Tina. Could've been a real rehab to her image - why'd she refuse?

McCain's SNL "point man," hagiographer aide Mark Salter, says the stuff about Palin refusing to compliment Tina Fey is ridiculous and untrue. Also he says "Keith olbermann. An angry man." That is not a palindrome even though it sounds like it should be. [Update: Nor is it an anagram.] In other news, it is the day before the election and there is no news. Click to view