“She is still just really fun to watch. Some are watching because they admire, and others are watching because they find her hilarious because she is a self parody and there aren’t too many people who can manage to be both of things. Some are seeing her as an important figure in American public life and others see her as a jester and that’s how she keeps getting TV shows,” Thompson said. “The people who love her love to watch her, the people who really don’t love her, love to watch her.  It’s mock watching, and that’s what keeps American culture afloat now.”

“If I were going to give an Emmy for best person who has run for president or vice president on a comedy show, I would give it Palin,” Thompson said of the “Tonight Show” performance with Fallon. “It was funny, it was charming, even though at times it was awkward. That combination is the recipe for the Sarah Palin equation.”