[IMG:L]Tina Fey’s weekly impressions of Sarah Palin have given us a reason to watch (at least the first few minutes of) Saturday Night Live again–and to look back at the long line of SNL’s political send-ups. Here are our favorites.
Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton
SNL’s current MVP has cemented a spot as one of the show’s best impressionists with her spirited send-ups of Hillary, whether she was facing off against Tina Fey‘s Sarah Palin or Fred Armisen‘s Barack Obama. (Ironically, she made Armisen’s Obama impersonations seem rather amateurish by comparison in their Democratic debate sketches.) And when Mrs. Clinton appeared alongside her SNL twin last season, it showed just how spot-on Poehler has been all along.
KEEP READING: Aykroyd as Carter
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Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter
He may have looked positively nothing like President Carter, but Aykroyd, like all of the SNL greats, was able to make anything funny–and in fact, the Carter skits might’ve been even funnier because of the non-resemblance. Aykroyd had a knack for emphasizing and exaggerating Carter’s trademark Southernisms, most hilariously during an “Ask President Carter” skit in which he helps a teenager through a bad acid trip.
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Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford
Chase is best known for the klutzes he played on the big screen, but never was his calculated clumsiness put to better use than during his brief SNL days–specifically when portraying the late President Ford (to whom he bore no resemblance) as a “stumble-bumbling” nincompoop. Luckily, Ford was able to laugh with much of the nation at the caricature Chase had created, and the two went on to become friends.
KEEP READING: Hartman as Clinton…
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Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton
Darrell Hammond had Clinton’s accent down to a science, and he may have even out-impersonated Hartman once or twice, but Hartman’s MacDonald’s sketch–arguably SNL’s best political sketch of all time–alone is enough to give the late comedian the edge over Hammond. Watch as Hartman genuinely downs most of the McDonald’s menu (in a single take, of course), never once breaking character. It’s impressive on more than one level.
KEEP READING: Carvey as Bush AND Perot…
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Dana Carvey as George H.W. Bush/Ross Perot
Perhaps nobody in SNL’s history has been a more prolific–or skilled–impersonator than Carvey was during his seven-year stint, and he seemed to reserve his best work for the Texas twofer of President (H.W.) Bush and presidential candidate/multibillionaire Perot. More people seem to favor Carvey’s performances as Bush, but some (i.e., yours truly) think this is one race that’s too close to call or to exclude either impression. You decide!
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Tina Fey as Sarah Palin
Call it a comedy miracle: One of the funniest people on earth just so happens to look a hell of a lot like Sarah Palin! The uncanny physical resemblance is one thing–and Fey and Palin really do look like long-lost twins–but the impersonation would not be complete if Fey couldn’t deliver the full package the way she does, from Palin’s ‘eh’-nunciation to her overall made-for-satire disposition. Ultimately, Fey might not change the election any, but she has certainly changed SNL, and right now–even if only because of how topical they are–her impressions stand as the absolute best.
KEEP READING: MacDonald as Dole…
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Norm MacDonald as Bob Dole
MacDonald made almost no sense in theory as the one to impersonate Bob Dole. He neither looked nor sounded like the senator-turned-presidential candidate, and his delivery was often muttered and haphazard. Of course, that was the MacDonald way, and it translated to one of the best (if least accurate) political impressions to this day–with a little help from that absurd Real World sketch!
KEEP READING: Ferrell as Reno…
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Will Ferrell as Janet Reno
For obvious reasons, there was always a degree of implicit cruelty at the heart of Ferrell’s freakish impersonations of the former attorney general. But sometimes hilarity trumps all, and even Reno herself joined in on the fun-making when she crashed one of the dance parties that Ferrell’s Reno frequented.
