I can’t help but find this election season to be the funniest I have ever experienced.

Between all of the debates, interviews and speeches, I have found more entertainment from this election season than I have from the TV, movies and books I usually consume.

When John McCain chose Sarah Palin to be his running mate, I was initially terrified. I had never heard of this woman. I only knew she hadn’t been governor of Alaska more than two years, and she had a pregnant daughter.

When Palin first opened her mouth the night she spoke at the GOP convention, I realized my 19 years of existence have been incomplete.

Where would I be without her ensuring us that she and fellow maverick John McCain will march right up to the White House and fix this country?

The many “Saturday Night Live” skits with Tina Fey added to the delight that is Sarah Palin. Without her, I would not have experienced all this wonderful entertainment.

If I didn’t know about her “true Americans” and her ability to see Russia from her house, a hole in my soul would have been left empty.

When I first saw a TV advertisement calling Obama a terrorist, I literally laughed out loud. I was sitting in my dorm room giggling like an idiot all by myself. I could not believe the McCain campaign had nothing else against Obama except to accuse him of being what every American fears.

I laughed uncontrollably when I found out that Palin, who is promising to cut government spending, spent more than $150,000 on new clothes since she was nominated for VP.

This country is undoubtedly in trouble. Current foreign policy decisions are unpopular, and the economy hasn’t looked this bad since the 1930s. Accusing Obama of being a terrorist is obviously the most desperate attempt to discredit him. Palin completely blew me away when she spent more than a college education’s worth of money on a new wardrobe.

What happened to, “Thanks but no thanks for the bridge to nowhere?”

Other quirky catch phrases such as “don’cha know” and “my friends” made me chuckle with glee when I watched interviews and debates.

Sheer happiness filled me during the speeches at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial dinner. I love how the two candidates could take time off from their serious campaigns and make fun of themselves.

My favorite McCain moment was when he said, “And yes, it’s true that this morning, I dismissed my entire team of senior advisers. All of their positions will now be held by a man by the name of Joe the Plumber.”

I became elated when Obama said, “If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility. Greatest weakness, it’s possible that I am a little too awesome.”

I was Sarah Palin for Halloween, and my roommate was her pregnant daughter, Bristol. I saw four other Sarah Palins, but none of them were as noticeable as me, and I was the only one who had a Bristol. My most memorable moment was when I went into Hungry Howie’s to get pizza. I placed my order and he asked me my name, and I said Sara. He then gave me this look that said, “Right, I don’t believe you.” I then said, “No, my name really is Sara.” He just gave me another look and completed my order. When my order was ready, he called my name, and when I went up to get it, the people in the store looked at me with this “yeah, right” look on their faces. It was wonderful. The name on the receipt was “Sarah Palin.” That’s definitely getting framed.

Without Palin’s ludicrous nomination, my Saturday night masquerade would have been impossible.

The election will be noted in books, texts and studies for years to come; it is making history. For the first time ever, we will have either a woman or a black man in the White House.

But for me, history has also been made through all the various Web sites, YouTube videos, “Saturday Night Live” skits and Halloween costumes dedicated to the hilarity of it all.

Sara Petersen is a junior public relations major and a columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at [email protected].