Sarah Palin poised, relaxed on 'Today' show

Sarah Palin as "Today" show guest co-host? Good one, NBC. You had me fooled and apparently everyone else, too.

A co-host asks questions, debriefs guests, holds the python during the exotic pets segment, laughs at Al Roker's jokes, and affects an air of objective nonchalance suggesting "big-time TV journalist."

I know co-hosts. Ms. Sarah Palin, you're no co-host.

When all was said and done, she really was just a guest. But one who scored her favorite talking points in an easy interview with Matt Lauer, and poked fun at herself buried under a pile of newspapers while cracking a joke about being mistaken for Tina Fey on the way to "30 Rock." She was also a guest who got a precooked question about Ashton Kutcher playing Steve Jobs, and lobbed back this precooked zinger at HBO: "Any of you have experience with people paid a lot of money to pretend they're you?" (a reference to Julianne Moore playing her in "Game Change").

It was a slam dunk for Palin -- who was poised, relaxed and confident. All that natural, to-the-camera-born ease came out; the political savvy and the facility with the "lamestream" media, remains intact.

Meanwhile, what about "Good Morning America" guest co-host Katie Couric -- also blessed with that to-the-camera-born ease? She, too, was poised and professional -- a real co-host. But Palin was the one who got all the attention. "Today" beat Katie on Monday (without Palin in the studio), 4.9 million to 4.4 million viewers. When Tuesday's ratings come out, we'll all see just how big a win this was.