Let’s face it, 2008 was a rough year economically speaking. The recession’s in full swing, jobs are being lost en masse, and foreclosures are on the rise. Part of the reason we watch TV, of course, is to get away from all that…a bit of escapism if you will. One of the funniest moments of 2008 was actually a brilliant blend of reality and TV hilarity..when Tina Fey essentially cloned Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live.

Tina Fey had to be in the right place at the right time, because her voice, mannerisms, and overall similarity to Palin drew skyrocketing ratings for SNL. You can find all of her impressions of Palin over at Hulu, but my favorite appearance had to be her first. One of the best lines from the show was actually a butchered quote from one of Palin’s interviews: “I can see Russia From my House!” The funniest part about that joke is that Palin often used her close proximity to Russia as a focal point as to her foreign policy experience.

Rumors have swirled as to the actual impact the spoofs had on the election. Honestly I doubt it had any serious influence on the election myself, and the fact that Palin herself showed up on the show reinforces that point. I think most people got a good kick out of the whole thing, and I’d wager we’ll be seeing plenty more lampooning of candidates in the years to come, albeit without the same accuracy and charm as Fey’s impression.