“SNL” Debuts New “Obama,” Clint Spoofed, Too, in Season Premiere
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Jamie McCarthy/WireImage/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — In the season premiere of Saturday Night Live, impressionist extraordinaire Jay Pharaoh saw his promotion from featured player to full-fledged cast member come with a presidential job: he’s replaced Fred Armisen as the show’s official President Obama imitator.
In the opening sketch, Armisen passed the torch, introducing “Obama,” who was quick to admit he hasn’t done a good job as president, and knows why people have fallen out of love with him. However, Pharaoh as Obama maintains he’s still cooler than Mitt Romney, who was again played by Jason Sudekis.
“The economy’s in the tank. The job market’s horrible. And now my foreign policy is under attack. But I’m not worried. Should be, but I’m not…Because my campaign has a secret weapon,” before introducing Romney, and later Tarran Killam as GOP Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan. “There’s your choice, America: stick with what’s barely working, or take your chances with that.”
In another sketch, Bill Hader spoofed Clint Eastwood’s “empty chair” performance at the Republican National Convention, in a commercial about the legendary filmmaker taking the act on a road, as Eastwood and Chair — billed as “two hours of high-waisted hijinks.”
The 38th season premiere of Saturday Night Live was hosted by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.
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