Since its conception, Saturday Night Live has been known for its satirical jabs at the state of contemporary politics. From Chevy Chase taking prat falls as Ford, to Tina Fey informing audiences about her view of Russia, SNL and politics go together like Hilary and Pant Suits, or Trump and walls. Not only is SNL a charming way to close up a week, but it plays an important role in the election. Saturday Night Live in fact, can

This year is no exception. Perhaps the very best part of this election is the spoof-ability of the candidates. The two actors who formerly played Obama, Fred Armisen and Jay Pharoah, have both moved on from Saturday Night Live, meaning that, either P.O.T.U.S. himself will make a cameo, or we have seen all of the lame duck that will be seen for a while.

A new wave of political faces has made it’s way to our Saturday nights. Hilary Clinton is being portrayed by Kate McKinnon. McKinnon has previously played Ellen Degeneres, Penelope Cruz, Justin Bieber, and Martha Stewart to name a few. This summer, McKinnon starred in the movie “Ghostbusters” along side SNL alum Kristen Wiig and Current SNL cast member, Leslie Jones. McKinnon plays on Hillary’s celebration of Trumps losses, and willingness to work and fight for her seat as the first female president, to a ridiculous point. One of the first sketches of the political season featured Clinton running along side a few happy go lucky bikers, trying to persuade them to give her their vote.

Trump is currently portrayed by Alec Baldwin, who holds the record for hosting SNL, having hosted a total of 16 episodes, meaning he has seen his fair share of satire in the media. Baldwin has been both commended and criticized for for his portrayals of Trump. They have been called both “refreshingly honest” and “boring and unfunny”. Perhaps the imitation is “unfunny” to some, but boring is hardly an appropriate word to describe the range of mispronounced words and expressive faces Baldwin uses when imitating the republican candidate.

Although the two candidates have gained much attention in the past few months, the characters are hardly new to the 30 Rock stage. As first lady, senator of New York, and Secretary of State, Clinton has been portrayed by a plethora of witty woman including Amy Poehler, Vanessa Bayer, Jan Hooks, and more. Trump has been portrayed during his time as a reality host, business owner, and candidate, by the likes of Phil Hartman, Taryn Killam, Jason Sudeikis, and Daryll Hammond.

Trump and Hillary themselves have both made appearances on SNL Hillary played a bar tender named Val, who helped console Hillary Clinton (portrayed by McKinnon) after a hard week of campaigning. Trump has hosted two episodes of SNL, one of which aired this political season.

Media plays an important role in politics. Not only does it make voters more aware of the policies and ideals of the candidates, but it gives the candidates an approach-ability that would otherwise take years, if ever, to reach. In a sense, the fate of the election can sit in the palms of a few comedians. The role of media in the election is often outshined by the technical stats, donations, and powerful endorsements the can lead to a candidate gaining a lead, but Saturday Night Live knows it’s demographic, and uses humor to appeal to them, the same demographic that the candidates would love to lock down in their favor. A late night sketch comedy show hardly seems like a professional setting for presidential candidates, which is why many have said that, if given the chance, they would refuse to host. But it is really a bad idea to reach out to a group that may otherwise have little knowledge about them?