Dana Edelson/NBCWhen it comes to Sarah Palin and Saturday Night Live, "Will she or won't she?" is a fair question. "When will she?" is a better one.
Following the lead of the V.P. wannabe herself, SNL puppetmaster Lorne Michaels and Weekend Update anchor/head writer Seth Meyers made the media rounds this week, playing up the possibility that the political cameo to end all political cameos may just come to fruition.
But maybe not just yet.
"Of those specific rumors, there's no truth," Meyers told Newsday of the wishful thinking-fueled reports that Palin will face off against her portrayer Tina Fey on either the Saturday night staple or one of its upcoming prime-time specials.
"We do have an open-door policy, but there's nothing specific yet, but our window of opportunity is before the election...Our doors are always open."
Michaels said much the same thing, adding that all the hype about such a potential showdown is only helping the cause.
"It started as a rumor, but it's getting enough momentum that I think it will be real," he told the Los Angeles Times. "And it's my experience that if people think it will do them some good, they will show up."
SNL itself has been a recent beneficiary, with both its ratings and pop culture relevance skyrocketing in the wake of its Fey-Palin connection, a lucky chance likeness not lost on Michaels.
"I think the gods smiled on us with the Palin thing," he told the New York Times. "If he'd chosen Romney, I think it would be completely different."
As for Palin, schedule permitting, she appears game for the comedic turn.
"I love her, she's a hoot and she's so talented," the folksy candidate told reporters of Fey this week. "It would be fun to meet her and keep on giving her new material."
Just don't expect too much of a heads-up prior to her appearance. When it leaked days early that Barack Obama would be appearing on SNL last month only to cancel the day of, it left the venerable comedy show with a bit of a red face.
"I think we looked stupid," Michaels said.
Meanwhile, Palin isn't the only candidate to comment on her late-night portrayal.
When asked by the Today show this week if he had any advice for either the SNL writers or Jason Sudeikis, who played Biden last week, the senator suggested just one tweak.
"I don't have that much hair."
There's a limited amount of time remaining for Palin's or any other candidate's star turn: Just three more new SNLs are set to air before the election, along with three live half-hour Thursday night prime-time specials, the first of which airs tonight.
In addition, the 90-minute Saturday Night Live Presidental Bash 2008, featuring both new and best-of material, will air Nov. 3, the night before the election.