The Best Political Impressions Of All-Time, Round 4: Vote In Decider’s Bracket!

Welcome to the Elite Eight, aka Round 4 of our Best Political Impressions bracket! Which means it’s time once again to vote. Who’ll make the Final Four? You have until this Friday the 30th at Noon Eastern to cast your ballots!

Three rounds in, and we’ve dispensed with fifty-six very worthy and very hilarious political impressions (we’ll miss you, Fred Armisen’s David Paterson; so long Bill Hader’s James Carville; adios Jon Lovitz’s Mike Dukakis).

But left standing are eight of the most beloved and memorable and remarkable impressions of the past forty years. Seven of them are #1, #2, #3, or #4 seeds, and one (Carl Weathers as Jesse Jackson, Jr) is a bonafide Cinderella #8 seed.

And so as the laughs subside from the round of sixteen, we turn now to the Regional finals. Who’ll make the Final Four? That, America, is up to you! Remember, voting for this round closes at Noon Eastern on Friday 9/30 (and then we are on to the Final Four…).

VOTE IN DECIDER’S BEST POLITICAL IMPRESSIONS OF ALL-TIME BRACKET TODAY!

2010 AND BEYOND

#4 Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton vs. #3 Larry David’s Bernie Sanders (VOTE)

McKinnon is the undisputed star of the current SNL cast, and her striving Hillary is a large part of why. With ambition so great she can barely contain it, McKinnon’s Hillary oozes desperation; in her mind, she’s been president since childhood. A knowing and very funny take on the woman who might soon become president.

Both the best surprise in political comedy over the past year and the most logical one, David’s unexpected first appearance as Sanders was so well-executed, it felt like the entire internet slapped their forehead at once to proclaim, “David as Sanders – of course! Why didn’t I think of that?” David’s history as a professional complainer served him well as Sanders; his time as creator as two of the funniest shows in TV history led him to create, with SNL’s writers, one of the funniest sketches of last season, as he melded himself with Sanders in the parody “Bern Your Enthusiasm.”

THE AUGHTS

#1 Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin vs. #2 Will Ferrell’s George W. Bush (VOTE)

The impression that roiled the political and entertainment worlds. Fey’s understated carbon copy of the controversial vice-presidential candidate damned Palin with her own words, and made Fey a key player in an already bizarre presidential race.

“Strategery.” With this one word, Ferrell defined then-candidate Bush as a feel-good buffoon with an addictive staccato laugh and a thorough misunderstanding of world events. Ferrell’s Bush was also the comic actor’s first step on his path to megastardom.

THE NINETIES

#1 Dana Carvey’s George H.W. Bush vs. #3 Darrell Hammond’s Bill Clinton (VOTE)

So great it set a new standard for impressions, Carvey’s Bush uttered catchphrases that became so ingrained in our culture, many to this day think Bush said them himself. “Not ga da” (Bushish for “Not gonna do it”), and “Wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture” became as associated with the president as his “thousand points of light.” Bush had been seen as a boring president, but Carvey – perhaps in a lesson for whoever tackles Obama next on SNL – figured out how to make him funny.

Hammond evoked Bubba’s mischievous boyishness and the “aw shucks” ability to have any misstep treated like a teen’s unwitting infraction. Especially as later compared to Hillary Clinton’s steely focus, Hammond’s Clinton was the ultimate politician-as-scamp.

THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES

#8 Carl Weathers’ Jesse Jackson, Jr vs. #3 Phil Hartman’s Ronald Reagan (VOTE)

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It was a one-time appearance, but Rocky star Weathers perfectly captured Jackson’s infamous rhetorical flourishes. His smooth-talking take on the reverend-turned-politico showed us why Jackson became such a public force.

Hartman portrayed Reagan as a secret mastermind using forgetfulness as a ruse, giving a forceful performance to create an alt-world Reagan that, had he existed, would have explained a lot. The late Hartman remains one of the show’s best all-time impressionists. His Reagan was just one character that reinforced his command of voices and mannerisms.