In this year's U.S presidential election, the line between reality, parody and satire seems to zigzag more often than used car salesman turned politician's promises.
Take for an example, Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin.
She went from Republican president ticket savior to national joke as fast as you can say Tina Fey.
Fey's devastatingly funny portrayal of Palin on "Saturday Night Live" this season seemed to go to another level because it never quite veered in traditional caricature.
In fact, the most-outlandish part of Fey as Palin on SNL was her nonsensical answers to questions from Amy Poehler's Katie Couric -- which were actually taken line-for-line from the actual Palin-Couric interview.
Now there is word that Palin will appear on SNL this weekend playing herself, possibily opposite Fey playing Palin.
Got all that?
Democratic nominee Barack Obama appeared briefly on the show earlier during the campaign, while John McCain has actually hosted SNL once.
For politicians appearing on shows like "SNL" or "The Daily Show" is chance to show voters that they are real people too and that they get how ridiculous politics can be.
But this campaign season, politicians -- particularly McCain - have seen the perils of the comedy/daytime show circuit.
First there were the hosts of "The View," who grilled McCain more than any journalist or debate moderator has since.
Then there's fallout of McCain's decision to suspend his campaign and head to Washington to work on the financial rescue package - and skip out on a date with the "Late Show with David Letterman".
Of course, McCain didn't head to Washington but instead went to an interview with Katie Couric. For weeks, Letterman let him have it with biting criticism, night after night.
On Thursday, the pair awkwardly tried to public make-up on the show.
"I screwed up . . . what can I say?" McCain guffawed on Letterman.
Viewers had to be wondering whether he was still talking about his snub of the Letterman and not his suspension of his campaign -- which is now pointed to as a substantial reason for McCain's significant underdog status.
Then on Thursday night there was the 63rd annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, a New York charity event charity, where McCain and Barack Obama made jokes about each other and themselves.
McCain on his campaign: "This morning, I've dismissed my entire team of senior advisers . . . all their positions will now be held by a man named Joe the Plumber."
Obama on his image: "Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger. I was actually born on Krypton (that's Superman's planet) and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the Planet Earth."
These are the same men that one day earlier were at each other's throats in the final presidential debate, fighting for the most important job in the world.
SNL's presidential impact
There was a moment in the Democratic primaries where Obama could do no wrong in the media.
Then there was an SNL skit, in which the media seemed to fawn over Obama, while hammering Clinton.
It seemed that the following Monday, Obama started getting tougher questions at press conferences and all of a sudden, the primary became a tightly-contested race.
And there is precedent for SNL affecting the presidential race.
Back in 1976, Chevy Chase played Gerald Ford as a likeable but bumbling buffoon. But in real life Ford was a graceful former star athlete.
The parody stuck and some still believe it cost him the presidency.
SNL's viewership had gone up 50 per cent this season, and with that large microphone, one wonders what historians will say of its impact when this election is finally over.
