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Obama Presidency Would Be Mined for Comedy

Posted on: Sunday, 2 November 2008, 06:00 CST

Although many comedians support Barack Obama's bid for the U.S. presidency, they will eventually poke fun of him if he's elected, comedy industry insiders say.

Many comedians and late-night talk shows have mined the campaign of Republican Sen. John McCain and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for laughs, going much easier on Obama, who is popular in Hollywood circles.

However, Carol Kolb, head writer of the Onion News Network, said if Obama is elected, the Democrat won't be exempt from teasing.

"Comedians haven't been hitting Obama that hard because he hasn't made a lot of missteps -- yet," Kolb told the New York Daily News. "If he actually becomes president, there's no way he will please everyone. The left-leaning comedians are supporting him in opposition to John McCain, but they're probably not going to agree with all of his policies. ... I have no fear that there will be something to make fun of. It may take awhile for that to emerge, but when it does, the humor will be more nuanced and informed. We will pounce when the time is right."

"Saturday Night Live" creator Lorne Michaels made a similar statement last week on "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer."

"The moment someone is elected, whoever the new president is, we're in opposition to that. Not in an unpatriotic way, of course, but our job (description) is, we're not their friends," Michaels said.

Source: United Press International

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