Gore was definitely better than McCain on SNL. Less wooden (in most the skits). The Lott/Hardball skit was one of only two highlights to the program. The other was the hot tub with Lieberman. But in the Hardball skit, the cast members (besides Hammond) sucked, which made the skit limp along a lot more than the hot tub skit I thought.

It is a sad commentary on SNL that instead of doing the cutting political satire and parody the show was once known for, they now settle for mediocre to bad casts, and right leaning political guest hosts like McCain and Gore, to keep the show alive in the ratings.

BTW, I think Gore IS still running, and his SNL appearance, cleverly followed immediately by the 60 Minutes interview (which he scheduled with Lesley Stahl--he called her, according to this week's media reports), demonstrated to me that he is damn smart not to run in 2004 for exactly the reason he gave, ie it would be a rehash of the 2000 election, which he would have lost even if the Supreme Court hadn't intervened. Now, I don't think Bush won Florida fair and square at all. I think Bush won Florida because of black voter intimidation and violations of the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court's decision just made sure that none of us would find out to just what lengths the Republican Party is willing to go to prevent blacks from voting, ESPECIALLY in the South.

One reason why so many Republicans are so nervous right now about the Lott "race" statement, is they fear a more serious look into the Republican Party's Dixiecrat wing's efforts to undermine the Voting Rights Act (remember how Lott and many other Dixiecrat Republicans voted on it), and the Bush wing of the Republican Party giving them constant reassurance with their racially coded nods and winks.

I don't think Gore could beat Bush in 2004. Too many jaded voters would sit the election out. I think it was that fact that Gore alluded to in the 60 Minutes interview (but never came right out and said in plain English), that helped him decide not to run in 2004. But I think there is still a very good chance he'll be back to try and pull a Nixon on us in 2008 or 2012.