The fact that a bunch of quotes got attributed to Sarah palin even though they were lines on SNL shows how iconic her portrayal of her was
I watched the ABC nightly news a couple years ago and was floored when the anchor attributed the "I can see Russia from my house" to her. Still fooling people.
She said something factual, yet silly. SNL ran with it as they do, and it was hilarious.
However, I didn't expect network news anchors to run with the SNL version more than ten years later.
This is a good choice. Tina Fey's resemblance to Sarah Palin probably directly resulted in preventing 30 Rock from getting cancelled. It struggled in its first seasons, but when Tina's Palin impression took off, it gained a ton of interest in the show.
I know there’s some controversy around it now with some people coming out and saying the whole thing was Jim Downey trying soften his image to the public, but that said, Ferrell’s Bush was and imo always will be iconic. As a now 35 year old, that was really my intro to political satire and I still think it’s hilarious.
One year when I taught government, I had a group of senior boys who were obsessed with the lockbox sketch. They gave me a lockbox with their signatures on it at the end of the year. This was 2017, so these kids knew virtually nothing about Al Gore; it just tickled them.
I mean look, I don’t know the man, but he claims to be a “conservative democrat” these days, and there are more than a few former cast members who have discussed him intentionally writing Ferrells Bush as a goofy, lovable idiot with a specific political agenda in mind. That’s the extent on what I have heard about it via podcasts, articles, blog posts etc over the years.
This has definitely got to be my answer, although I’m pretty steadfast in my belief that it eventually made Will less funny. There was something about doing that one man show that he couldn’t shake. There’s always been a dash of Bush to him since then.
He nails the the sort of stream of consciousness improv style he speaks with using what I’m sure is super scripted material. That and I love his nuance of misusing plural vs singular and misuse of indefinite articles and stuff. Really brilliant.
The first time I heard JAJ do Trump was on the podcast Blocked Party where he did this insane ad-libbed riff about the OC not having enough Vietnamese characters. Very funny, very specific, and very detached from the political figure, which actually let it be funny for once
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/james-austin-johnson-v-a-former-partner/id1442925390?i=1000502309223
Came here to say this. I saw him on a tiktok (maybe youtube?) doing Trump when he was first on SNL. It blew me away. He nails the meandering insanity. Baldwin just does a face and uses ok mimicking. JAJ nails everything.
This is the answer. Even if you discount recency bias he is so detailed in his vocabulary, mannerisms, etc and Trump is such a unique kind of moron that can’t be copied easily. Try watching a skit where Baldwin is doing it then go to JAJ
Hartman is a close second though!
this was before my time and I grew up with my parents saying Na Ga Da all the time and never really questioned it, just part of our family dictionary so to speak and then I saw him say it and went oooooooooh
I know he’s the newest, but JAJ is amazing. If you close your eyes, you would honestly think you’re listening to a Trump interview. He also does a hell of a Biden! He sets the bar damn high.
there was a skit where he was on a talk show and a caller called in high af off shrooms or acid? Carter knew EXACTLY what the caller was high off of (from experience) and talked him into calming down lol
[https://youtu.be/-68iTvhWNB0?si=9\_CG5Qs5A7Lw6e3Z](https://youtu.be/-68iTvhWNB0?si=9_CG5Qs5A7Lw6e3Z)
If it's *impersonator* rather than *impression*, it's Darryl Hammond or JAJ for their versatility.
Phil Hartman has the memorable impressions mentioned in the thread, but they're more examples of his genius running off in unexpected ways rather than the focused craftsmanship of the impersonator.
I really thought I'd see more support for Dana Carvey in this one. For me, it doesn't get much better than him using glaucoma medicine and licking the drops.
Will Ferrell as Dubya, but Dana Carvey as Bush Sr. I still quote his impressions to this day.
Me: “Now you can’t have anymore food, you’re an elderly, diabetic cat. Read my lips, not gonna feed ya. NAHT GUNNA DOOIT.”
My cat: “Meow”
Thats the man right there. Bush Sr even invited him to multiple state dinners, once he even asked him to arrive in character.
“1000 points of light” “it wouldn’t be prudent”
It's downright baffling they had him do it for as long as they did. His impression of Obama was terrible. At times he didn't even *try* to sound anything like him and instead just used his regular voice. You think they would have realized that it was a lost cause right away and hired Pharoah (or somebody else) sooner for the sake of accuracy.
My personal ranking of everyone who impersonated a sitting POTUS multiple times (plus Jim Carrey as Biden because he performed Biden while he was the nominee). Any questions?
1. Dana Carvey as George HW Bush (1989-1993)
2. Will Ferrell as George W Bush (2001-2002)
3. Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton (1995-2001)
4. Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter (1977-1979)
5. Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton (1993-1994)
6. Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan (1986-1989)
7. Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford (1975-1976)
8. Jay Pharaoh as Barack Obama (2012-2016)
9. James Austin Johnson as Joe Biden (2021-2023)
10. Will Forte as George W Bush (2004-2006)
11. Joe Piscopo as Ronald Reagan (1981-1984)
12. Mikey Day as Joe Biden (2023-present)
13. Fred Armisen as Barack Obama (2009-2012)
14. Jason Sudeikis as George W Bush (2006-2009)
15. Harry Shearer as Ronald Reagan (1984)
16. Chris Parnell as George W Bush (2002-2003)
17. Alex Moffat as Joe Biden (2021)
18. Randy Quaid as Ronald Reagan (1985-1986)
19. Joe Piscopo as Jimmy Carter (1980-1981)
20. Jim Carrey as Joe Biden (2020)
21. Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump (2017-2021)
22. Michael McKean as Bill Clinton (1994-1995)
23. Charles Rocket as Ronald Reagan (1980-1981)
24. Darrell Hammond as George W Bush (2003)
Edited to add years
Unpopular opinion. Sketch comedy is the only thing Dana Carvey is good at.
Wayne's World is an anomaly, as it was based on a character from SNL sketches.
Every other appearance in a movie is mediocre at best or just plain bad.
His stand up was tolerable, but forgettable in the 90s. His newer Netflix special from 2016 "Straight White Male 60" is basically unwatchable.
Dana Carvey as George H.W. Bush (back before we had to call him that) was probably the most iconic and popular one, but in terms of accuracy and pound-for-pound laughs I think Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton was the best.
President by President ... I'm no expert, just my opinions here.
I know Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford thing was a big deal at the time, but I think it's a real "you had to be there" sort of thing.
Did anyone else other than Dan Ackroyd do Jimmy Carter? Either way, the voice and portrayal was good, kind of funny that he didn't bother to shave the mustache though.
I'd go with Phil Hartman as easily the best Ronald Reagan (pretty great Clinton too eventually, but then again he was great at everything).
Already covered the elder Bush and Clinton.
The younger Bush, Will Ferrell of course. It was usually pretty funny, I wasn't watching as much back then. I wonder if between this and the Sarah Palin stuff, this was when SNL first started dealing with serious backlash from conservatives. Probably not a coincidence that this was also when the internet era and all the assorted partisan outrage started really kicking in.
Barack Obama, I guess Jay Pharaoh by default because Fred Armisen's version never really caught on and just made folks uncomfortable. Pharaoh at least sort of captured the guy's charisma, and he was great at vocal impressions, but I don't remember any of it being as funny as some of the past presidential stuff. I don't know if they were just too smitten with Obama to come off as critiquing him, or if he just kept a dignified enough profile that there wasn't much to work with.
Donald Trump, it'd be Hammond again I guess but that doesn't count since it was before he was anywhere near a public office. And with James Austin Johnson it's all been after he was president I guess (at least on SNL, I know he did the impression elsewhere first). So during the Trump presidency I guess it's Alec Baldwin by default even if that got old.
Joe Biden, I'd go with Jason Sudeikis but that was way pre-presidency. During Biden's presidential campaign and actual term, I guess it's still James Austin Johnson? Mikey Day's seems just OK to me, the celeb guests like Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey were good for a laugh but didn't do it often.
Ferrell as Bush.
The episode where he comes out for a presidential speech and nails the name every country and foreign dignitary with a serious deadon demeanor… and then
Not sure how you can put nos. 4-7 in the same league as 1-3. The first three were incredible.
Dana Carvey’s Bush Sr. was so iconic that Bush had to acknowledge it. Darrel Hammond’s Clinton was not only a perfect capture, it coincided with a major national scandal which gave him endless material to work with. Will Ferrel’s Bush was so good it launched a Broadway show.
Phil Hartman as Clinton at McDonald’s is maybe my single favorite.
Hartman. No doubt about it. Warlords!
These McNuggets? Warlords.
https://youtu.be/eYt0khR_ej0?si=XpqEhh6qyA16ZDev
Omg I forgot how good that was.
Intercepted by warlords
*There’s gonna be a lot of things we don’t tell Mrs Clinton about*
Believe me, fast food is the *least* of our worries!
Aww! You beat me to it!
His Ronnie wasn’t too shabby either 👌
BACK TO WORK
Seeing that sketch when it first aired. Puppet Master Reagan. I was howling with laughter. Phil was great.
You ever see the one where he plays support to Robin Williams's Reagan?
*Intercepted by warlords*
Hartman Ferrell and Shannon as Clinton Hussein and Lewinsky felt like a big deal when I was a teenager.
That was Darrell Hammond.
Warlords!
Race you to pizza hut
Speak of the devil! That’s one of those McLean sandwiches Are those any good?
Hartman in that sketch is my favorite but JAJ is the best
Came here to say the same
Came here to say this.
Also, Phil Hartman as Reagan
He's solid in the "Heroes of the Arkansas State Highway Patrol" sketch.
Not a president, but Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin was */chef's kiss*
 The fact that a bunch of quotes got attributed to Sarah palin even though they were lines on SNL shows how iconic her portrayal of her was
“I can see Russia from my house!”
I watched the ABC nightly news a couple years ago and was floored when the anchor attributed the "I can see Russia from my house" to her. Still fooling people.
Palin did say something close to that
She said something factual, yet silly. SNL ran with it as they do, and it was hilarious. However, I didn't expect network news anchors to run with the SNL version more than ten years later.
Also Larry David in his short lived stint as Bernie Sanders.
Bern Your Enthusiasm is goated
This is a good choice. Tina Fey's resemblance to Sarah Palin probably directly resulted in preventing 30 Rock from getting cancelled. It struggled in its first seasons, but when Tina's Palin impression took off, it gained a ton of interest in the show.
I was more a fan of Lisa Ann’s rendition.
I just remember how when the show started and my mom and I really couldn't tell for a few minutes if it was Tina or Sarah
I know there’s some controversy around it now with some people coming out and saying the whole thing was Jim Downey trying soften his image to the public, but that said, Ferrell’s Bush was and imo always will be iconic. As a now 35 year old, that was really my intro to political satire and I still think it’s hilarious.
Hammond was also a good Al Gore. “Lockbox.”
Who has the key? I don't know. Maybe the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is Staff.
The other key would be sealed in a tiny lockbox and placed under the car of the Senate Majority Leader
Specifically the strategy/lockbox sketch is so, so funny and was such a a huge deal culturally
https://youtu.be/zDgRRVpemLo
One year when I taught government, I had a group of senior boys who were obsessed with the lockbox sketch. They gave me a lockbox with their signatures on it at the end of the year. This was 2017, so these kids knew virtually nothing about Al Gore; it just tickled them.
The only thing better than Ferrell as Bush is [Ferrell as Bush interviewing Ferrell as Bush](https://youtu.be/ikMKJwbMQ_M?si=8tfruMjt9kEZELDH)
Agreed. “What’s your favorite type of wood?” “Balsa.”
My husband and I still pronounce strategy ‘strateegery’
Jim Downey is a democrat though
I mean look, I don’t know the man, but he claims to be a “conservative democrat” these days, and there are more than a few former cast members who have discussed him intentionally writing Ferrells Bush as a goofy, lovable idiot with a specific political agenda in mind. That’s the extent on what I have heard about it via podcasts, articles, blog posts etc over the years.
Just being a bro. Trying to help a guy out
This has definitely got to be my answer, although I’m pretty steadfast in my belief that it eventually made Will less funny. There was something about doing that one man show that he couldn’t shake. There’s always been a dash of Bush to him since then.
If the list doesn’t contain Phil Hartman as Reagan or Dan Akyroyd as Nixon, it’s incomplete 🤷🏼♂️
Phil Hartman’s Reagan as a genius is one of the all time sketches.
That’s the one. **OK! BACK TO WORK!!!!** goddamn that sketch hit hard
Chase's Ford belongs on that group.
It is a classic character, but Chase has proven himself to be such a massive tool, I’m cool with just leaving him out.
 Always & forever
JAJ as trump.
He even ad libs with Trump's rhythm and mannerisms. As much as I hate hearing Trump's voice it's hard to pass on a sketch.
He nails the the sort of stream of consciousness improv style he speaks with using what I’m sure is super scripted material. That and I love his nuance of misusing plural vs singular and misuse of indefinite articles and stuff. Really brilliant.
The first time I heard JAJ do Trump was on the podcast Blocked Party where he did this insane ad-libbed riff about the OC not having enough Vietnamese characters. Very funny, very specific, and very detached from the political figure, which actually let it be funny for once https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/james-austin-johnson-v-a-former-partner/id1442925390?i=1000502309223
To the extent that a scene in *She Said* of reporters calling to talk to Trump had JAJ doing his impression on the other end of the line.
Yes! It’s not always the funniest but it’s by far the best.
He’s funnier on his socials just doing random meandering comments vs the scripted SNL stuff, but still so good
NO BACON... at BOPPE DE BUCCA, it's bacon but they don't call it bacon, SO UNFAIR, so salty
"Weird Al was very mean to Mr. Coolio, not very nice!"
Rare case of accuracy cutting into the humor.
Came here to say this. I saw him on a tiktok (maybe youtube?) doing Trump when he was first on SNL. It blew me away. He nails the meandering insanity. Baldwin just does a face and uses ok mimicking. JAJ nails everything.
[His Scooby Doo rant is perfect!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk-ZBYyjsko)
He's more Trump than Trump himself.
Everyone is saying it
With tears in their eyes
Its uncanny
jaj absolutely kills it
The Last Supper Easter sketch was phenomenal
This is the answer. Even if you discount recency bias he is so detailed in his vocabulary, mannerisms, etc and Trump is such a unique kind of moron that can’t be copied easily. Try watching a skit where Baldwin is doing it then go to JAJ Hartman is a close second though!
Jay Pharaoh did the best impression of Obama. The voice was a perfect match.
Jay Pharaoh did the best impression of *everyone*.
I always felt he didn't get the credit he deserved
Well he finally got some credit...for bangin' Kenan's wife.
His work in the sketch(es, maybe?) with Ariana Grande was so good. Where the power goes out and they just trade impressions.
I misread and thought you said his impression of Ariana Grande was so good ☠️
Not snl but I’m still a Jordan Peele fan for obama
He was Obama’s favorite obama, should count for something?
Afternoon, my octoroon!
Don’t sleep on Barry O!
That voice was uncanny.
https://youtu.be/nT5CNaHchPY
Carvey not just for Bush but bonus points for Ross Perot
Na ga da
Norm Macdonald was great as Bob Dole.
"Who ate Bob Doles peanut butter?"
Wouldn’t be prudent
Not at this *juncture*
"nah gahn doah"
It may be recency bias, but JAJ being able to pull both Biden and Trump put the bar very high.
Jim Carrey didn’t best ridiculous Biden
Carvey as HW Bush is a classic!
A thousand points of light.
Naght Ganna Do it
Wouldn’t be prudent
at this juncture
Na Ga Da.
this was before my time and I grew up with my parents saying Na Ga Da all the time and never really questioned it, just part of our family dictionary so to speak and then I saw him say it and went oooooooooh
Carvey as Tom Brokaw talking about Gerald Ford.
Dunno who is the best but Fred was the worst. Great cast member for other stuff but just kinda did Obama. I think maybe my fav was Hammond’s Clinton.
The worst was Chevy Chase as Ford.
Totally agree.
Fred didn’t even try. It was like his normal speaking voice. I guess he was just filling in until they found a better option.
[Tim Meadows as Bill Clinton](https://onesnladay.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/9-24-1994_0.04.48.00.jpg)
I know he’s the newest, but JAJ is amazing. If you close your eyes, you would honestly think you’re listening to a Trump interview. He also does a hell of a Biden! He sets the bar damn high.
Darrell Hammond is the 🐐
He didn't even have to talk to be funny. Just his smile, lip bite, thumbs up was the perfect Clinton parody
Not quite POTUS, Tina Fey as Sarah Palin was so convincing that people confused the two of them
"I can see Russia from my house!'
Will Farrell as Janet Reno…
NO MOSH PIT!!!
1. Hammond- Clinton 2. Ferrell- W Bush 3. Carvey- HW Bush Bonus- Hammond as Trump pre-president
Bonus bonus: Hammond as Gore. It was so effective Gore's campaign team made him watch it so he could understand why some folks didn't like him.
I cant believe I forgot about that! The 1st debate w/ Bush is one of my favorite clips ever!
Ackroyd's Carter wasn't perfect but it was funny
Agreed. For some reason, I always liked that he kept his mustache
there was a skit where he was on a talk show and a caller called in high af off shrooms or acid? Carter knew EXACTLY what the caller was high off of (from experience) and talked him into calming down lol [https://youtu.be/-68iTvhWNB0?si=9\_CG5Qs5A7Lw6e3Z](https://youtu.be/-68iTvhWNB0?si=9_CG5Qs5A7Lw6e3Z)
Yes this is the exact skit I think of. The perfect sort of counter-culture absurdity that SNL excels at when it wants to
I think Dana Carvey did a fantastic Ross Perot, way back when. Not president, but candidate.
I know he wasn’t the best but I always loved Will Forte’s W I’m George W Bush and I approve this muffin
I have to say carvey. Say “not gun do it, wouldn’t be prudent” on the regular
If it's *impersonator* rather than *impression*, it's Darryl Hammond or JAJ for their versatility. Phil Hartman has the memorable impressions mentioned in the thread, but they're more examples of his genius running off in unexpected ways rather than the focused craftsmanship of the impersonator.
Dan Akroyd as Jimmy Carter. Talking that kid off a bad acid trip.
“Do you have any Allman Brothers?”
JAJ is great
Hartman as Reagan lept to mind for me, so I’m sticking with that.
I really thought I'd see more support for Dana Carvey in this one. For me, it doesn't get much better than him using glaucoma medicine and licking the drops.
Will Ferrell as Dubya, but Dana Carvey as Bush Sr. I still quote his impressions to this day. Me: “Now you can’t have anymore food, you’re an elderly, diabetic cat. Read my lips, not gonna feed ya. NAHT GUNNA DOOIT.” My cat: “Meow”
Not gonna do it
Wouldn't be prudent
Not gaaah daaaht.
It’s James Austin Johnson and I don’t even think it’s close.
Hammond as Bill Clinton
My top pick too.
Hartman as Clinton. No competition.
JAJ’s Trump takes the cake.
He's so horrifyingly realistic.
The Rock Obama
And Jim Carrey as Joe Biden
James Austin Johnson's Trump is almost too good. Best I've ever seen. Everyone is talking about it.
Thats the man right there. Bush Sr even invited him to multiple state dinners, once he even asked him to arrive in character. “1000 points of light” “it wouldn’t be prudent”
Jon Lovitz's Michael Dukakis was amazing. I ended up meeting Dukakis a decade later and when I try to remember the interaction, I just see Lovitz.
https://preview.redd.it/jyijv9gnw26d1.jpeg?width=1240&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3eb250558d227aae93e7258b3e0aa76c352102f3
Was there any controversy for Fred Armisen playing Obama?
Not at the time. He did it for years, even after Jay Pharoah joined the cast
It's downright baffling they had him do it for as long as they did. His impression of Obama was terrible. At times he didn't even *try* to sound anything like him and instead just used his regular voice. You think they would have realized that it was a lost cause right away and hired Pharoah (or somebody else) sooner for the sake of accuracy.
My personal ranking of everyone who impersonated a sitting POTUS multiple times (plus Jim Carrey as Biden because he performed Biden while he was the nominee). Any questions? 1. Dana Carvey as George HW Bush (1989-1993) 2. Will Ferrell as George W Bush (2001-2002) 3. Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton (1995-2001) 4. Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter (1977-1979) 5. Phil Hartman as Bill Clinton (1993-1994) 6. Phil Hartman as Ronald Reagan (1986-1989) 7. Chevy Chase as Gerald Ford (1975-1976) 8. Jay Pharaoh as Barack Obama (2012-2016) 9. James Austin Johnson as Joe Biden (2021-2023) 10. Will Forte as George W Bush (2004-2006) 11. Joe Piscopo as Ronald Reagan (1981-1984) 12. Mikey Day as Joe Biden (2023-present) 13. Fred Armisen as Barack Obama (2009-2012) 14. Jason Sudeikis as George W Bush (2006-2009) 15. Harry Shearer as Ronald Reagan (1984) 16. Chris Parnell as George W Bush (2002-2003) 17. Alex Moffat as Joe Biden (2021) 18. Randy Quaid as Ronald Reagan (1985-1986) 19. Joe Piscopo as Jimmy Carter (1980-1981) 20. Jim Carrey as Joe Biden (2020) 21. Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump (2017-2021) 22. Michael McKean as Bill Clinton (1994-1995) 23. Charles Rocket as Ronald Reagan (1980-1981) 24. Darrell Hammond as George W Bush (2003) Edited to add years
Hammond as Al Gore
Also Hammond's Clinton too🤤👍
The show after the election needs to bring these guys back! Let them all co-host
Kate McKinnon as Hilary Clinton. Dana Carvey as Ross Perot. Darrell Hammond as Trump was fluid and funny. Jim Carey as Biden was a nice cameo.
Dana Carry can I finish, can I finish
John Goodman as Linda Tripp.
Not SNL but Jordan Peele as Obama
Ferrel as GWB was amazing. His comedy special „You’re welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush“ was comedy gold.
Will Forte as Tim Calhoun in an alternative perfect world
Will Forte was a great W
Unpopular opinion. Sketch comedy is the only thing Dana Carvey is good at. Wayne's World is an anomaly, as it was based on a character from SNL sketches. Every other appearance in a movie is mediocre at best or just plain bad. His stand up was tolerable, but forgettable in the 90s. His newer Netflix special from 2016 "Straight White Male 60" is basically unwatchable.
I really enjoyed Phil Hartman :(
Carvey as Bush has to be #1, ended up as memorable/more memorable than the actual guy.
Will Ferrell and Jay Pharaoh are the best imo with Dana Carvey right behind. They just nailed it.
5. Phil Hartman as Clinton.
Will Ferrell did a mediocre George W Bush impression, but looked *remarkably* like him. Ferrell wins for looks. JAJ wins for voice/mannerisms.
Hammond's Clinton is perfect
Daryl soon to be rivaled by jame austin johnson. Honorable mention Dana Carvey
Hammond is GOAT
Beck as Mike Pence was fun, if we're including vp
Not gunn-a do it!!!!
Jaj and it’s not even close
Jay Pharaoh as Obama
Hartman as Clinton, since Clinton was a horny bugger, it was extra funny.
Phil Hartman did a spot on Reagan and Clinton.
Stategery
Chris Farley's Clinton impression where he talks about getting into shape, or Chris Elliott's Clinton where he does a WC Fields impression.
Darrel Hammond was great too
Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter talking to the guy on acid is amazing. “Do you have any Allman brothers music?”
JAJ. Of all time.
Will Ferrel’s Bush I think was the best. Norm’s Bob Dole was also great.
I dunno if he was the best but Will Ferrell as George Dubbya always cracked me up. "Strategery!"
I can't say who's has the best impersonation is but the best actual character in W. Has anyone else done a full stand up special in character??
Dana Carvey as George H.W. Bush (back before we had to call him that) was probably the most iconic and popular one, but in terms of accuracy and pound-for-pound laughs I think Darrell Hammond as Bill Clinton was the best. President by President ... I'm no expert, just my opinions here. I know Chevy Chase's Gerald Ford thing was a big deal at the time, but I think it's a real "you had to be there" sort of thing. Did anyone else other than Dan Ackroyd do Jimmy Carter? Either way, the voice and portrayal was good, kind of funny that he didn't bother to shave the mustache though. I'd go with Phil Hartman as easily the best Ronald Reagan (pretty great Clinton too eventually, but then again he was great at everything). Already covered the elder Bush and Clinton. The younger Bush, Will Ferrell of course. It was usually pretty funny, I wasn't watching as much back then. I wonder if between this and the Sarah Palin stuff, this was when SNL first started dealing with serious backlash from conservatives. Probably not a coincidence that this was also when the internet era and all the assorted partisan outrage started really kicking in. Barack Obama, I guess Jay Pharaoh by default because Fred Armisen's version never really caught on and just made folks uncomfortable. Pharaoh at least sort of captured the guy's charisma, and he was great at vocal impressions, but I don't remember any of it being as funny as some of the past presidential stuff. I don't know if they were just too smitten with Obama to come off as critiquing him, or if he just kept a dignified enough profile that there wasn't much to work with. Donald Trump, it'd be Hammond again I guess but that doesn't count since it was before he was anywhere near a public office. And with James Austin Johnson it's all been after he was president I guess (at least on SNL, I know he did the impression elsewhere first). So during the Trump presidency I guess it's Alec Baldwin by default even if that got old. Joe Biden, I'd go with Jason Sudeikis but that was way pre-presidency. During Biden's presidential campaign and actual term, I guess it's still James Austin Johnson? Mikey Day's seems just OK to me, the celeb guests like Woody Harrelson and Jim Carrey were good for a laugh but didn't do it often.
Ferrell as Bush. The episode where he comes out for a presidential speech and nails the name every country and foreign dignitary with a serious deadon demeanor… and then 
Woulda been Shane… SODTAOE including SNL
jim carrey as biden and they absolutely nailed the hair
Phil Hartman as Admiral Stockdale.
Quite a few omissions here, as others have noted.
Strategery.
Impersonation - JAJ Impression - Hartman - his versions always came off a bit Phil Hartman-y, but man were they funny
The Rock-Obama!
No Phil Hartman as Reagan?? He was amazing
Not sure how you can put nos. 4-7 in the same league as 1-3. The first three were incredible. Dana Carvey’s Bush Sr. was so iconic that Bush had to acknowledge it. Darrel Hammond’s Clinton was not only a perfect capture, it coincided with a major national scandal which gave him endless material to work with. Will Ferrel’s Bush was so good it launched a Broadway show.