THE GRINS WERE WIDER than Joe the Plumber's crack. Everyone who saw, heard, watched live (or on the internet) or talked to friends about the candidates' comedy performances during the last few days couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

Who are these guys? Who knew they could be so funny? I'm talking about Barack "Steve" Obama and John "I'm keeding!" McCain and Sarah "Caribou Barbie" Palin. McCain's and Obama's self deprecating remarks at a political dinner in New York, as well as Sarah Palin's performance on Saturday Night Live were hilarious.

They were so funny, in fact, that it might even backfire among core supporters of both party's candidates, "You mean this has all been a big joke? And now you're just admitting it?"

I knew that John McCain was capable of being funny. A couple of years back on Saturday Night Live he did a skit with cast member Fred Armisen who plays the campy Venezulan comedian who accompanies himself on a snare drum and uses catch phrases like "I'm keeding!" and "Adios mio!" The Arizona senator came out and said he represents a state with a large Hispanic population and he found the portrayal of the Latin comedian to be stereotypical and offensive. The actor looked downcast until McCain added, "I'm KEEDING!"

During the Al Smith dinner broadcast on MSNBC, McCain announced that he had fired all his advisors and replaced them with Joe the Plumber. "Already, my friends, my opponents have been subjecting Joe to their vicious attack machines." McCain said. "What they don't know is 'Joe the Plumber' recently signed a very lucrative contract with a wealthy couple to handle all the work on all seven of their houses."

Obama took aim at his own "Second Coming" status among some voters. "Contrary to the rumors you have heard, I was not born in a manger.I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-El to save the Planet Earth," Obama said when it was his turn at the microphone. Obama admitted, "If I had to name my greatest strength, I guess it would be my humility.Greatest weakness, it's possible that I'm a little too awesome."

And Sarah Palin held her own with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler on SNL Saturday night, especially the way she responded to the rap song Poehler sang during Weekend Update with call out lines like line, "All the mavericks in the house put your hands up." and "shoot a mother-humping moose." complete with dancing Eskimos and hockey dads. It was drop jaw funny.