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Watch Sarah Palin joke about a 2016 presidential run on SNL’s 40th Anniversary Special

Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at the Atlantic.

In the whirling, star-studded boondoggle that was Saturday Night Live's 40th Anniversary Special it was easy to lose track of all the celebrities. But there came a moment late in the show when things slowed down and Jerry Seinfeld took some "questions" from celebrity audience members. Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson, Michael Douglas, and James Franco all had little bits.

And so did Sarah Palin.

"Jerry, how much do you think Lorne would pay me to run in 2016?" the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee said.  "Hypothetically then, what if I were to choose Donald Trump as a running mate?" she added.

Palin's joke was funny and showed she's a good sport. But it also reminded viewers of the magic that Tina Fey and the SNL cast tapped into during the 2008 election and how often politics has been a vital cornerstone of the show's comedy.

You can bet SNL's writers are already prepping for the 2016 presidential race. Though they won't admit it, they might be hoping just a little bit that Sarah Palin toys with a run.