SNL Cold Open: President Obama Explains the Power Structure in the U.S.

Posted on December 4, 2011

Fred Armisen did the cold open for Saturday Night Live last night. Playing President Obama, he gave a speech to the nation about the real power structure in the United States. He notes that he didn't even make the top five most powerful people.

Number one on the list is Congress, which has the power to do nothing at all including pass his jobs legislation: "Congress is like Hotel California. My legislation checks in but it can never leave."

Number 2 is Grover Norquist who got a number of congressmen to sign a no tax pledge, when the president could only get a maybe from Nancy Pelosi as to whether she'd buy some girl scout cookies from Malia. Number 3 is Oprah. Number 4 is the NFL. "If this address were interrupting a game, they wouldn't even carry it."

Number 5 is Mark Zuckerberg: "in 2008 I had to beg to get 69 million votes. Meanwhile 800 million of you have given this man photos of yourself drunk at an office Christmas party wearing a giant Cat in the Hat hat."

The video clip from SNL is available on nbc.com.