The last time Saturday Night Live came off a hiatus with new episodes, their satire of the mainstream media's fascination with Barack Obama convinced some journalists it was time to get tough on the political wunderkind.

Tomorrow night, the show comes back from summer hiatus with an exquisitely lampoonable situation: Obama set back on his hells by a squeaky-voiced hockey mom for Alaska with a pregnant teenage daughter and membership in the NRA.

Coming back for its 34th season Saturday, SNL features champion Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps; producers say they are trying to get alum Tina Fey to return as GOP vice presdential nominee Sarah Palin. But failing that, Kristen Wiig may further her reputation as the show's backbone to take on the role. And Barack Obama is expected to make a cameo himself.

So what kind of sketches might turn the tide this time?

-- Fred Armisen's Barack Obama begging Amy Poehler's Hillary Clinton to join his ticket after all. Of course, he'd have to deal with Darrell Hammmond as a petulant Bill clinton, always wlaking by a certain spot in Oval Officeand smiling.

-- Armisen's Obama watching Fey's Palin tear up the GOP convention, thinking back nostalgically to thedays when the only woman he had to beat to win the presidency was Poehler's Hillary Clinton.

-- Fey's Sarah Palin telling lies that get progressively more outlandish, as Darrell Hammond's Brit Hume (or Charlie Gibson, if he can pull it together in time) consistently overlook each whooper -- until Palin is promising to turn old fast food wrappers into candy and find a cure for irritable bowel syndrome.

-- The real Obama is urged by his handlers to get tougher on Palin; immediately, Armisen appears over each of his shoulders, on one side the nice Obama, who suggestes challenging her with facts and reasoned arguments, only to be beat up by the evil Obama who just wants to secretly run out and hire Karl Rove.

I sure hope whatever they come up with is better than this.

Here's a look at some Obama and Clinton stuff on SNL: