SNL Vs. Obama: Sketch Details All The President's Failures Since Taking Office (VIDEO)

"Saturday Night Live" opened its show with a particularly harsh send-up of President Obama last night. The critique focused on failed promises, as a checklist repeatedly appeared to the right of the screen that had "NOT DONE" checked off next to the following categories: global warming, immigration reform, gays in the military, limits on executive powers, torture prosecutions, closing Gitmo, withdrawing from Iraq, improving the status of the fight in Afghanistan, health care reform, etc.

"There are those on the right who are angry. They think that I'm turning this great country into something that resembles the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, but that's just not the case. Because when you look at my record it's very clear what I've done so far and that is nothing. Nada. Almost one year and nothing to show for it."

While the president is three and a half months shy of his one year mark, we get the point. The sketch made clear that this is a critique of Obama from the left: "I just don't see why the right is so riled up, I mean how do you think the left feels. They're the ones who should be mad." And the writers pointed out that with a super majority in the Senate, getting his agenda through shouldn't be a particularly difficult undertaking.


WATCH:

Get HuffPost Comedy On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[audit]

01:16 AM on 10/08/2009

Would it have been funnier if he swiveled his head side to side like he was reading from a teleprompt­er? Yeah that would be funnier.

[Knowitall]

08:34 PM on 10/07/2009

Bottom Line. SNL is grasping for straws. Their season opening has been terrible. Ratings have plummeted since the Palin/Tina Fey uptick for the show.

Where to go? Attack Pres. Obama. (Larry King and Campbell Brown have been doing the same thing with their failing shows. Can Rick Sanchez be far behind?)

They are trying (in vain I believe) to draw some of those mythical masses of Fox viewers. It won't work, but will alienate any middle of the road and liberal viewers they had.

Let's face it. The SNL sketch was not funny, and you could tell Arnisen's heart wasn't in it. He knew they were throwing out the baby with the bath water. It will be difficult to get back on track when you've just trashed most of the President'­s policy agenda--a very ambitious one--one that would take any human being more than 9 MONTHS to achieve. SNL didn't even do that to Bush.

A much funnier skit would have been to MAKE FUN OF the NOTION that any President could get that much of an agenda done in just 9 months.

Work on that one SNL, and get some real laughs. Even your audiences laughs were forced on Saturday.

[thockman]

07:24 PM on 10/08/2009

No, SNL is right on target. Obama made a lot of very specific promises during the campaign, but as soon as he was in office he backed away from almost everything substantia­l that he had promised to do. I've never been more disillusio­ned with a politician in my life. He is throwing away the chance to be a truly great president by taking a weak, overly contritiou­s stance on every major issue. He's more concerned about giving in to his opponents to avoid political confrontat­ion than taking the stands that the majority of American people elected him to support. I foresee a lot more of these SNL skits if he doesn't turn around his record.

[Volksstimme]

07:01 AM on 10/11/2009

The only one grasping for straws is your Kenyian National Fraud in the White House. However, I agree with you the SNL was not funny for it was the truth. Face it, your lone Ranger is nothing but Pinnochio.

[TheThoughtCriminal]

03:14 AM on 10/14/2009

I suspect that you are a liberal pretending to be a conservati­ve. I do that sometimes myself. What you just said is far too ridiculous for any literate person to put forward as a serious argument.

[FirstShirt]

07:24 PM on 10/07/2009

When SNL begins to hack at you the honeymoon is over. And Jon Stewart can't seem to get enough of Obama.

Enjoy, liberals. Now it is your turn.

[TheThoughtCriminal]

03:19 AM on 10/14/2009

Agreed, but that doesn't change the fact that SNL has become a terrible show. I wish somebody would just pull the plug. It is so painful to watch what was once such a terrific show deteriorat­e so rapidly.

[Hollywood Dick]

05:54 PM on 10/07/2009

It seems like everyone has completely missed the point of this skit. Obviously Obama has faced some tough challenges right from the start and hasn't had a chance to advance his agenda. But the right keeps hammering away at how he is turning this country into a Socialist State with all of his major changes. However, when you look at the facts, as this skit does, he hasn't really changed anything. So what's with all the rhetoric? I think the joke is on the right for trying to paint Obama as a dangerous agent of liberal change when in fact he isn't trying to do anything outside of the mainstream at all.

[DEvans1]

05:53 PM on 10/07/2009

I am all for learning to laugh at yourself but I honestly did not think that the skit was funny; but that's only because I still do not like Fred Armisen as Barack Obama. He is just not that good. What made Tina Fey a hit as Sarah Palin was that she was so believeabl­e.

The only other problem that I had with the sketch is that with past presidents­, SNL skits have mostly concentrat­ed on the personal and/or visual flaws with the actual person, not on their governing policies.

This was much more of a political attack than a spoof and I for one had to check my TV and make sure I wasn't watching another certain cable news channel for a second.

Did Obama snub them or something during his recent trip to New York because they came out swinging for the fences on him? Not good.

[Volksstimme]

07:05 AM on 10/11/2009

The truth hurts

[MakersMark]

06:19 AM on 01/16/2010

The truth does hurt, but I couldn't find the truth in that skit.

[Calvincito]

05:49 PM on 10/07/2009

It's sad what passes for funny these days. Tina Fey knocked it out the box with Sarah Palin but the rest of SNl are a re a group of Not Ready for Prime Time Players for real.

[FirstShirt]

07:22 PM on 10/07/2009

Ah, yes. Denial is not just a river in Egypt.

[Knowitall]

07:50 PM on 10/07/2009

Ah, Yes it is. It would be one thing if it was just this skit I didn't like--beca­use it was not funny. But, in the past, I was able to watch ALL of SNL. But recently, I can barely get through the opening skit. By the time the guest host has gotten through his/her lame monologue, I'm gone.

[Volksstimme]

07:06 AM on 10/11/2009

Is that like the Kenyian National who wants to be President? Stop the campaign Maobama and show us your real birth certificat­e first.

[Calvincito]

07:12 AM on 10/11/2009

What the ??????????­????

[BillLaimbeer]

01:43 PM on 10/12/2009

If we throw Obama into a river and he drowns, he's not Kenyan. If he swims, he must be Kenyan and therefore removed from office.

If impirical evidence of citizenshi­p doesn't convince you, nothing will. I'll chalk you up with the 29% who think history will judge Bush kindly. Hey, didn't you think Iraq was out to get us because they hated our freedom, and that trickle-do­wn economics worked? How do you even have the credibilit­y to question Obama's legitimacy in the first place when you've been proven wrong about everything so far?

[kat91605]

04:29 PM on 10/07/2009

It's just a joke, I mean some of it is true he really hasn't done much on health care, afghanista­n and other than bailing out the banks, unemployme­nt continues to rise, foreclosur­es are still rampant and states like mine continue to fail.

[Knowitall]

07:54 PM on 10/07/2009

What's "states like yours" doing about the failures? There are other players in this game besides the President. What did people expect? That he was going to ride into Washington­, wave a magic wand and change 30 to 40 years of predominan­tly Republican screw ups in less than 9 months? Be reasonable people. The congress has just been back in session for a month. It takes time to do things in Washington­.

[BillLaimbeer]

01:46 PM on 10/12/2009

I'd like to believe that there are aggressive changes in the works, but things like the mythical "by-partis­an support" indicate otherwise. Where was the insistence of bi-partisa­n support when Bush II was in office? I mostly remember a lot of "you're either with us, or you support terrorists­".

[MakersMark]

06:22 AM on 01/16/2010

And, what was happening in your state before BO became President and where would your state be now if he hadn't and McC had?

Damn, people, use your brains!

[Pem3]

03:51 PM on 10/07/2009

That was a funny skit and loved the way it poked fun at both sides, I just hope no one takes that skit to heart.
The problem is you know that some out there are going to take what was said one way or another, and they will forget that is was a comedy skit.

[Jessica Buono]

03:24 PM on 10/07/2009

@ senzy It's a Saturday Night Live skit, it's a joke. They make the skits far out for more laughs. Lets be real here people, public figures are fair game, it's comedy. Learn how to laugh.

[JaneK13]

01:09 PM on 10/07/2009

...and yesterday the White House gave SNL more material. All those guys in the ill-fittin­g white coats that obviously came off a costume rack looked ridiculous­. Did the people come from central casting? They said they were "real" doctors, but viewers found that hard to believe. They all looked so shabby and unprofessi­onal. My doctor wouldn't have the nerve to show up for a meeting with the President looking like that.

[Hollywood Dick]

06:02 PM on 10/07/2009

"I'm not a Doctor, but I play one on television­."

[Knowitall]

08:01 PM on 10/07/2009

How do you know what your doctor would do? You might be surprised. Who are the "viewers" you're speaking for? Fox viewers perhaps?

Do you REALLY think the WH would round up a bunch of actors to play doctors on the WH lawn?

And just how long do you think they would keep that a secret? I'm willing to believe that there are 100 doctors in this country who support the President ( I know at least 2 of mine who do).

You're just making stuff up again, aren't you? Don't be so bitter.

[Pipestr]

03:01 PM on 10/08/2009

Due to a lot of health issues - I have 5 different doctors, ranging in age from 20 to 58. They come from BOTH parties (and one liberteria­n), and they ALL are against the proposed health care - they DO want reform - but not any of the ones being proposed.

By the way - 3 of them have been my doctors for over 15 years, and would NOT be my Doctor otherwise, in that they wilool not accept any new patients on Medicaire.

They say it is too time consuming, too restrictiv­e in diagnosis, and treatment, and too slow to re-imburse­.

If your doctors are in favor of a public plan, I would question their intelligen­ce.

I alswo would believe there are 100 doctors in this country (out of the 25 to 30,000 we have here). which is less thqan 1/2% yup - less than one half of one perscent .

REmember there were many that aggreed with Kevorkian too.

[smiththomas]

07:31 AM on 10/07/2009

You get one SNL skit on Obama and people can hardly take it. What is the deal. Anything conservati­ve is fair game but this President should not be ridiculed.

[Knowitall]

07:56 PM on 10/07/2009

I don't believe any President should be ridiculed. I didn't like it before, and I don't like it now.

[Steppinawfulstuff]

02:04 AM on 10/07/2009

Darn you, SNL! You're only supposed to ridicule Ruspublicr­ats!

[Steppinawfulstuff]

02:03 AM on 10/07/2009

Get well soon, Michael Moore! You know, my fellow Michael Moore fans, we should be out supporting this important film. As our fearless leader lies in a hospital bed http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=ygas_Mdfn­YE we need to show him love by seeing "Capitalis­m: A Love Story" over and over. I challenge us all to pay the way of at least one friend to see the film. Then all the haters in the trades won't be able to write negative stories about Michael and this film, such as this one here:
[B]ut the biggest disappoint­ment of the weekend is Michael Moore's Capitalism­: A Love Story (Overture)­. After a $57K per theatre average on 4 screens last weekend, the picture broke to a wider 962 locations with terrible results. The "documenta­ry" only sold an estimated $1.3M in tickets to start the weekend, and it will finish at about $3.9M for a PTA of less than $4,000.

[KDog76A]

02:01 PM on 10/07/2009

yawn

[Pem3]

03:57 PM on 10/07/2009

I would only support hypocrite film maker if he was to donate all the cash made from the film to help people and fix some problems. Feel bad if the man is in the hospital, but isn't ironic that you want to have people spend more of their money. To support and make even wealthier a man who made a film against Capitalism­!
Sort of shoots down the point of the film when you are takeing money from people to make one person richer.

[Rictracee]

01:51 AM on 10/07/2009

SNL.. SKIT. . not funny at all..

the thing about political humour it suppose to funny and have some truth to it.. Obama has done more in his first 9 months than Bush did in 8 years.. and the things that SNL is listing there is no way inhell Obama could have done any of those things in 8 months.

[JRD-FLA]

05:15 PM on 10/07/2009

What has Obama done besides apologize to all of our enemies?

[Knowitall]

08:37 PM on 10/07/2009

Do your own research. Go to some government sites. Take your time, but STOP posting this same old lame question. We've seen it here literally dozens of times. And dozens of times, some patient soul has posted everything from Lily Ledbetter to the Stimulus Package. Go do your own research and stop watching Fox.

[Rictracee]

01:58 AM on 10/09/2009

do your research, you'll see .. but we all know that research and FACTS is something you GOP trolls no nothing about.

[FirstShirt]

07:28 PM on 10/07/2009

1. He can allow gays to serve openly in the military by executive order. Gays have always been in the military, not just openly.
2. He can close Guantanamo and ship the detainees to a federal Supermax prison. If we could house nazis and italians in the US why not terrorists­?
3. He could withdraw from Afganistan whenever he wants. He doesn't want to. This is now Mr. Obama's war.

So, those who want to deny and hide behind words are now forced to provide deeds. Seems on the left talk is indeed cheap.

[Knowitall]

08:48 PM on 10/07/2009

1. If he "allows" gays to serve openly by Executive Order, the next conservati­ve President will rescind the order and gays will be back to square one. They need a law, real legislatio­n. That's what Pres. Obama has asked for.

2. He is going to close Gitmo. Several detainees have already been released, but each and every one of the 220+ detainees have to get some form of legal scrutiny. All of them are NOT harmless men who were drawn into the prison for no reason. There's also the problem Holder was talking about today. Nearly every state or its citizens have said, "Not in my backyard." The government cannot ignore any of those things.

3. Yes, he could withdraw from Afghanista­n at any time, but with what results? I, and most Democrats want us out of there on the same timetable we're withdrawin­g from Iraq, but his military advisers are telling him this is not the right time, that there actually should be a surge rather than a withdrawal­. Of course, the Republican­s are saying the same thing. The political advice doesn't matter that much, but what about the military advice?

Talk may be cheap. But anybody who knows anything about running a government­, knows that it's hard. Especially one that claims to be democratic (or a republic).

[Wowzer]

01:42 AM on 10/07/2009

I'm a Democrat, I'm Nubian, I voted for Obama and I thought it was absolutely HILARIOUS! Hey, this is all we wanted all along: to show everyone that we'd do the same job as anyone else. No better, no worse. We're all the same, folks, and we're all fair game for comedy skits!

[FirstShirt]

07:30 PM on 10/07/2009

Great objective comment. I'm republican and thought the Palin skits and those that impaled Bush were right on point and funny. As you say, we are all the same...jus­t different parties.