‘SNL' Recap: Bernie Sanders Shares a Sinking Ship With Larry David

Larry David also reprised his HBO hit for a version of "Bern Your Enthusiasm."

Bernie Sanders joined Larry David on "Saturday Night Live" and the result was pretty, pretty, pretty good. 

But first David began his "SNL" monologue as host with the signature laid-back, self-deprecating style that has made the "Seinfeld" co-creator a household name.

David said he was shocked he was a host when he considers himself more of a guest, and never a good one.

“I’m supposed to say we have a great show tonight but why raise expectations? Why else would we be here?” he said. David went on to riff that he used to be a "poor schmuck" before becoming a "rich prick" and he doesn't have a problem with women dating him because he has money and is on television. 

"Why else" would a woman go out with an old, bald man like himself, the 68-year-old joked. 

For his first sketch David took us back to his hit HBO show "Curb Your Enthusiasm" but this version was "Bern Your Enthusiasm" where David played Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders. He was surrounded by campaign staffer versions of the characters portrayed on "Curb."

In typical David fashion, "Sanders" managed to insult, offend, and annoy everyone he came in contact with by simply being himself. And as always, it came back to haunt him.

This time his actions disenchanted five potential voters, who later cost him the Iowa caucus. He had alienated the family of a supporter in a rope line by refusing to shake her hand after she coughed. "Sanders" lost another vote by refusing to "pop" back in the shoulder of a voter who dislocated it in a car accident.

"I'm from Brooklyn. We don't pop in Brooklyn," David said. 

It was a photo finish when all five were unveiled as Hillary Clinton supporters, with only David's Sanders to blame.

The real Bernie Sanders appeared opposite David in a later sketch about the evacuation of a sinking ship.

David’s character complained about women and children being rescued first, and demanded that his money and connections should allow him an early exit off the ship.

Sanders, who has campaigned on inequality, jumped right in to protest the entitlement of the one percent.

“I’m so sick of the one percent getting preferential treatment," Sanders said. “ We need to unite and work together if we are going to get through this.”

At which David responded: “That sounds like socialism to me.”

The vessel eventually made it to New York and David rebuffed Sanders' suggestion to share a cab, saying they had "talked enough." 

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Before introducing musical guest The 1975, David and Sanders appeared as themselves with Sanders getting a chance to deliver a signature David catchphrase.

David asked Sanders how things were going in New Hampshire, to which Sanders said, "okay."

David asked "just okay?"

Sanders responded: "pretty, pretty, pretty good."

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Other topics that "SNL" delved into were Sen. Ted Cruz's Iowa victory and the Super Bowl.

The show's cold open featured Taran Killam as Cruz talking about how unlikeable he was. At one point he referred to himself as a "nasty little weasel."  

With less than 24 hours to go before Super Bowl 50, Killam and Kenan Thompson played NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Cam Newton. For the sketch, the players sang the classic tune "Ebony and Ivory" made popular by Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney.

One of the story lines leading up to the Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers has been the different coverage and attention given to Newton and Manning.

While Manning has been praised for his records and career, Newton, the black quarterback, has been criticized for his showboating.

That prompted Thompson’s Newton to ask: “Why are people afraid of me? I do commercials for Greek yogurt?”

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