I agree with onyx ansel12 it pretzel logic to think SNL helped Gov. Palin or COD.
There’s no way to know. Palin would not necessarily be in the top spot right now (and she is) without the attention. The media cemented Palins position as the conservative they love to hate, and they talked about her non stop. People who hate the media love her more. The media attacks make her the one.
The media is not going to be praising conservatives unless and until things change a lot.