Watch Jay Pharoah's debut as SNL's Obama

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From Dan Aykroyd's sullen Richard Nixon to Tina Fey's spot-on Sarah Palin, Saturday Night Live's three decades worth of political impersonations have helped Americans make light of -- and illuminate -- often grueling, overlong election seasons.

SNL debuted their latest line up in Saturday's politics-heavy season opener, with Jay Pharoah replacing Fred Armisen as President Barack Obama.

In the show's opening sketch, Pharoah portrayed the president as a eerily detached politician with the tendency to mumble "uhhh..." in between phrases.

Pharoah's Obama expressed overconfidence about the upcoming election, pointing to Jason Sudeikis' Mitt Romney as the Obama campaign's "secret weapon."

"Before we start -- Sasha, Malia, go to bed. I do that to remind you that I have two adorable young daughters, and not five creepy adult sons."

Sudeikis, who made a brief appearance as an out-of-touch Mitt Romney, will also play Joe Biden through 2012. Taran Killam rounds out SNL's political team as vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan.

Pharoah gave David Letterman a taste of his Obama impression on David Letterman's couch two years ago (at the 6:50 mark). He also does a mean Eddie Murphy.