The first of three SNL Thurday Night Live pre-election specials aired on October 9, 2008, opening with a spoof of the second Presidential debate starring SNL cast members Fred Armisen and Darrell Hammond as Presidential candidates, Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain.  The cold open skit was followed by an extended edition of “Weekend Update.”

Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin did not make an appearance in the Thurday Night Live special, but in lieu of her absence, the debate skit was an entertaining exaggeration of some of the peculiarities of the real town hall debate between Obama and McCain which took place on October 7, 2008.

The debate spoof featured Fred Armisen as Obama, delivering answers in a dispassionate, monotonous singsong staccato, and Hammond as McCain, flashing abrupt and inappropriate grins, boasting obsessively about his maverick status in the Republican Party, and referring to Obama with such demeaning terms as “this character here,” “Junior over there” and “pee-pants over here.”

Those phrases were inspired by McCain’s strange use of “that one” to refer to Obama at one point in Tuesday night’s “town-hall” debate appearance.

Fred Armisen and Darrell Hammond as Barack Obama and John McCain in the SNL second debate skit

The real Barack Obama and John McCain at the real second Presidential debate, October 7, 2008

Former “SNL” cast member Chris Parnell returned to do his impeccable impedimentary impression of NBC anchor emeritus Tom Brokaw — who, as in the real debate, was insatiably fixated on time limits for candidate answers as if this were a sacred charge he must dispatch with religious fidelity. Armisen’s Obama or Hammond’s McCain would start to answer a question and Parnell as Brokaw would shout, “Your time is up!” — interrupting them and hurrying on to the next question.

As the debate began, “Brokaw” explained that undecided voters who made up the studio audience had proposed a long list of questions from which, Brokaw said, “I have chosen the eight least interesting.”

Fred Armisen and Darrell Hammond as Barack Obama and John McCain ending the debate spoof with a high five

Playing one of the debate audience members was one of the show’s distinguished founding jesters, the great Bill Murray (identified as “William”). The mere sight of him precipitated a wave of affectionate and sentimental satisfaction. His question, typically for him, was not about the economy or foreign affairs but about the Chicago Cubs, celebrating a century of not making it to the championship.

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Photo credit: NBC, Getty Images North America