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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

‘Late Night’ lampoon plays well in Finland


Finnish President Tarja Halonen is the object of a running gag on Conan O'Brien's talk show. 
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Karl Ritter Associated Press

HELSINKI, Finland – Finland’s president finds her traditional support among women and the Social Democratic Party base, but lately to the surprise of many Finns – and her opponents in today’s election – she has gotten an endorsement of a different sort.

The redheaded talk show host Conan O’Brien has been promoting President Tarja Halonen’s re-election bid as part of a long-running joke about their supposed physical similarities.

“Why do I support Tarja Halonen? Because she’s got the total package: a dynamic personality, a quick mind, and most importantly – my good looks,” the comedian, whose show is broadcast on cable in Finland, said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Whether O’Brien has a real interest in Finnish politics is uncertain, but his gags and mock campaign ads for Halonen have not gone unnoticed in this Nordic country of 5.2 million.

“Late Night with Conan O’Brien” airs five days a week on SUBTV, a Finnish cable channel, with a few days’ delay. Every time he mentions Finland or Halonen, local tabloids report it prominently. The Halonen camp is laughing all the way to the polls.

“Of course, when she is mentioned so many times it’s positive for our campaign,” said Halonen’s campaign manager, Markku Jaaskelainen.

Halonen was hugely popular even before O’Brien discovered their similarities, but Jaaskelainen said hits on the campaign Web site have quintupled partly because of O’Brien’s shows.

Polls showed Halonen with a solid lead on the eve of the election, but it was not clear whether she would get the more than 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff.