Did 'SNL' show us the 'real' John McCain?

John McCain was genuinely funny in his Saturday Night Live appearance (alongside Tina Fey, reprising her Sarah Palin impression, one hopes for the last time) at the weekend. He demonstrated that if (as I fervently hope) this presidential thing doesn't work out for him, he could have an alternative career as a comedian, or at the very least as a genial chat-show host.

Perhaps it's simply that McCain performs well when he's given a good script, and the role allotted to him in this campaign by Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis is one that runs counter to his real strengths. Anyway, as Andrew Sullivan wrote after McCain's equally hilarious performance at the Al Smith Dinner, it's of no consequence: this amiable, self-mocking version of John McCain isn't running for office this year. Instead, the American people have been presented with an increasingly erratic, impulsive and shameless politician who doesn't deserve to win.