Saturday Night Live Perfectly Nailed Clinton Supporters' Election Night Experience

(Image credit: NBC)

published 13 November 2016

For many Americans, Tuesday night was an unexpected emotional roller coaster as those who went in thinking Hillary Clinton had it in the bag slowly watched voting results roll in—red after red after red. Saturday Night Live perfectly captured the experience in last night's "Election Night" sketch.

Election Night - SNL - YouTube

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Starting out positive, a living room full of HRC supporters settle in to watch the election. "Guys, we're about to have our first woman president," Cecily Strong says emphatically. "Like, this is going to be a historic night."

A woman tells her friends "We're about to have our first woman president!"

Meanwhile, this week's celebrity host Dave Chappelle—the only black man there—takes a more cynical (practical?) stance. "Yeah, yeah. It might be a historic night, but don't forget it's a big country."

A man raises a wine glass and says "To the Latinos!"

Despite Chappelle's skepticism, his friends insist a Clinton victory is guaranteed, referencing polling predictions from liberal media sources like Huffington Post and Slate.

"Oh, well, she'll win the Electoral College for sure," says Aidy Bryant with confidence. "But I guess there's, like, a nightmare scenario where he wins the popular vote."

Chappelle continues to be the only character who is not shocked by the results that have his peers in full-on meltdown mode as they try to rationalize each upset. ("Look, early returns are always going to be Republican because republicans go to sleep early. It's just a fact!") That is, until SNL veteran Chris Rock joins the scene—just as important swing states, like Ohio and Florida, slip away to Donald Trump's growing pile.

A man says "I guess the Latinos didn't hear about your toast."

The two comedians, unruffled by the evening's unfolding of events, go on to mock their white, media-obsessed pals as they gradually realize what Chappelle and Rock already knew to be true: that there are a lot of voters outside of the coastal cities who probably aren't voting for Clinton, and that, yes, America is actually a pretty racist, sexist country.

A concerned looking woman exclaims "Oh my God, I think America is racist."

"Don't worry about it," Chappelle jests, "eight years are going to fly by!"

A man tells his friends, "It's gonna be all white!"

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I am an experienced editor, writer, and creative strategist, specializing in fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content for digital media outlets, as well as video and social platforms. While I currently operate as a freelance contributor/consultant, with such clients as The Zoe Report, my 10+-year background in the industry was cultivated at the dot-coms of elite publications, including Harper’s BAZAAR, ELLE, and Marie Claire.

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