She has spent weeks being ridiculed by liberal US commentators for her folksy clichés and perceived lack of political knowledge.

But, Saturday night, Sarah Palin faced up to her tormentor-in-chief when she appeared on primetime US television alongside her mimic, the actress Tina Fey.

Ms Fey has relentlessly mocked the moose-hunting, ice-hockey loving Alaska governor, her politics and her home state in a series of impressions in which she sported a Palin-style big hair-do, little red jacket and rimmed glasses, and has perfectly imitated Palin-style winks, smiles, twangy accent and salt-of-the-earth language.

As Ms Palin prepared to appear as a special guest on the hit show Saturday Night Live, the impersonator was pulling no punches as she held a spoof press conference before the Republican vice-presidential candidate went onstage.

For her part, Ms Palin showed that she has not lost her sense of humour as she gamely underwent a lengthy ribbing in good spirits.

During the mimic's fake press summit, as Ms Palin watched backstage on a monitor, journalists were told they were allowed "no recording devices" and were not permitted to "write anything down".

"I am looking forward to a portion of your questions," Ms Fey said, in a joke about the way Ms Palin has been accused of avoiding answering questions doing the election campaign.

Asked about her views on the last presidential debate, the mimic said of Mr Obama: "His words are smooth when he's talking, he's like an angel whispering in your ear. He makes John McCain sound like a garbage truck unloading trash at a landfill."

The camera then cut to Ms Palin, who has said that she loved Ms Fey's impersonations, and who was seen watching the performance backstage with Lorne Michaels, the show's executive producer.

The Alaska governor was then led on to the press conference to replace Ms Fey and danced to a rap song which ridiculed her politics and home state, against a background of phony Eskimos and an impersonator of her husband. At the close of the song Ms Palin said: “I’m Sarah Palin. Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow."

The appearance on Saturday Night Live was the second time in a week that the Republican ticket has made a calculated attempt to try to confront its television comedy demons in a bid to appear relaxed in the face of relentless ribbing from liberal sections of the media.

Mr McCain last Thursday appeared on CBS’s Late Show with David Letterman, who has ribbed the candidate ever since he cancelled another appearance last month.

But if McCain occasionally took the fight to Mr Letterman - for example, joking that his first act as president would be to raise the comedian’s taxes - Ms Palin played along.

Indeed, she was so inseparable from her look-alike that Alec Baldwin, the Hollywood actor and another guest on the show, appeared to mix them up.

After the actor joined Ms Palin and Mr Michaels backstage while Ms Fey performed in her fake press-conference, he told them that they could not allow Ms Fey to join Ms Palin onstage, describing her as “that horrible person” who “goes against everything we stand for."

Mr Michaels then pointed out to Baldwin that they were standing next to Ms Palin, not Ms Fey. Appearing quickly to compose himself, Baldwin said to her: “You are way hotter in person." Ms Palin retorted by telling Baldwin that she preferred his brother.

Ms Palin, playing on her image as a Washington outsider and frequently talking of how she represents "Joe Six-Pack" and "Hockey Moms", has energised the party faithful - but Republicans fear she has polarised many of the swinging voters the party needs to capture.

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