Barack Obama On SNL

*Groan*

Get ready to hear for the next week about Obama's hip brilliance and brilliant hipness for his surprise appearance in tonight's Saturday Night Live opener.

The setup was a Halloween party at the Clinton house, with the other candidates showing up in clever costumes (Richardson: Gore (sucking up to Hillary as a prospective veep); Gravel in a straight jacket (which was the highlight for me); Kucinich looking like Eddie Munster and pawing his wife, etc.).

Then a tall, lanky fellow in an Obama mask strolls in and it was all too clear where we were headed.  It was the Pitt-snubbing, Ellen-dancing, dialectically dexterous Mr. O. himself.

The "Hey, I'm on a television program that the youngsters watch" stunt was novel and surprising 40 years ago when stodgy old Nixon pulled it.  These days, I'm surprised when any show makes it to closing credits sans Presidential pop-in.

The sketch was actually fairly amusing (by modern SNL standards, anyway).  It's the breathlessly impressed media reaction over the next several days that's got me in a preemptive eye roll.

Update:  Here's the video (HT: Hot Air).  Watch it quickly before NBC demands it yanked.