I finally identified the source of the comedy for McCain's inspired visit to the Snausage Haus last week.  SCTV.

SCTV was the brilliant network TV parody of the Toronto-based Second City Comedy Troop, with John Candy playing Johnny LaRue, a hack local access cable TV personality willing to submit to any indignity to stay employed.

Johnny LaRue repeatedly pitched his idea for a new show called Street Beef to station manager Guy Caballero, a hard-nosed Mafioso type who chose to be wheelchair-bound for respect.  Street Beef would feature Johnny LaRue on the streets taking the pulse of the people of Mellonville:  just him, a microphone, a camera crew, and a crane for crane shots.  Guy Caballero counter-offered:  "Just you, one camera, and no crane."

LaRue:  "That's impossible."

Caballero:  "It's your only shot."

LaRue:  "I'll take it."  (in tears and grovelling)

So Johnny LaRue goes out on the almost empty streets of Mellonvile, trying to find anyone to interview, without any luck.  Even the homeless ignored him as he shoved a microphone in their faces.  The only person who talked to him was Perini Scleroso, a loquacious Eastern European transplant who couldn't speak a word on English.

Johnny LaRue on the streets on Mellonville was the same as Johnny McCain in Germantown, hoping to catch a break; looking for attention . . . any attention, and to maybe get the passing notice of the big TV networks.