Dear SNL

Dear Saturday Night Live,

I assume you will start this week's episode of SNL with a send-up of last night's Republican debate, likely focused on Rick Perry's soon-to-be-immortal "oops" moment.  I ask that you resist the temptation to go for the easy laugh.  Don't present him as befuddled - it is just too easy, and frankly the actual event was more uncomfortably funny (ala the BBC version of "The Office") than any blundering you might present.  Instead, take it a level above.

Instead, I propose the following skit:

Show Rick as a lucid and articulate policy wonk.  Have the moderator rapid fire questions at him, and put him in full command of detailed answers to every question.  Have the audience applauding, and even other candidates chiming in with nods and golf claps.  Finally, ask him an energy question.  Have his answer be distinctly left-wing.  Have him start talking about green energy and the impact of carbon-based emissions on the environment.  Have the other candidates shaking their heads and confused.

The moderator could pause, tilt his head, and ask the question "Governor Perry, you seem to have gained a remarkable level of understanding of the issues, but you also seem to have moved decidedly to the left.  How do you explain your transformation?"

The Governor would glance side to side and very directly, in a much more robotic voice, would say "Why I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."  The moderator would press the issue, and finally the governor would take off the Rick Perry mask to reveal Al Gore underneath.  To the surprised oohs and ahhhs of everyone, and the exclamation of "Al Gore??" by the moderator, Al responds "Oops." then follows up a pause with "Way-ell, I have come to re-ah-lize that a democrat would not be able to take the White House this year.  But it is my time.  I won before and I will win again.  The people need me!  The planet needs me!  I have a nobel prize!  And LIVE FROM NEW YORK..."