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Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders made his Saturday Night Live debut last night, accompanying host Larry David.听

The star of HBO鈥檚 鈥楥urb your Enthusiasm鈥� and former SNL writer Larry David has come on the show to play Sanders twice already: in of the first Democratic debate and then after the MSNBC Forum. But Saturday鈥檚 episode was the first time Sanders joined his impersonator on screen.听

Sanders had only brief cameo in one sketch, playing 鈥楤ernie Sanderswitzky鈥� a Jewish immigrant on a sinking ship who tries to ensure Larry David doesn鈥檛 receive preferential treatment for a spot on a lifeboat because he is rich.听

But the real highlight of the show was a five minute clip titled 鈥�,鈥� where a David/Sanders hybrid loses the Iowa caucus to rival Hillary Clinton because of having personally annoyed five potential voters.听

鈥淭he appearance, squeezed in among campaign events in New Hampshire before the primary on Tuesday, in a league with Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump, who have also appeared on the show this election season,鈥� wrote the New York Times Sunday.听

David definitely plays up the more comical aspects of Sanders鈥� persona, such as his unkempt hair, Brooklyn accent, and populist slogans. But despite some elements of David鈥檚 skit that poke fun at the Vermont senator, Sanders and his supporters are laughing with the comedian and using the exposure to their advantage.听

Sanders embraced the fame, in November tweeting a photo of Larry David as himself Saturday night with the phrase 鈥淲e need your vaccum pennies!鈥�, referencing a line from .听

It鈥檚 clear the presidential candidate 聽doesn鈥檛 seem to shy away from the Larry David spotlight. And he has no reason to, wrote聽The Monitor鈥檚 Peter Grier聽after David's first Bernie skit on October.

鈥淔or one, SNL treated Larry David as the star of the skit. Did you notice that David comes on stage last, after the Hillary Clinton character?鈥� asks Grier after David鈥檚 first SNL sketch as Sanders in October. 鈥淭hroughout 鈥楥linton鈥� is portrayed as somebody reacting to and working off of 鈥楽anders.鈥欌�澛�

And David鈥檚 impersonation is so popular that it brings in ratings comparable to SNL鈥檚 last great political spoof: Tiny Fey as Sarah Palin.听

SNL co-head writer Rob Klein agrees.听

鈥淚t was like with Tina and Palin in 2008,鈥� he tells Slate. 鈥�.鈥澛�

Fey鈥檚 impersonation was appreciated by many for its uncanny similarities, leading to some of the show鈥檚 best ratings in a decade. But Fey鈥檚 sketches drew critical backlash from Palin supporters. 聽聽

鈥淭here was an assumption that I was personally attacking Sarah Palin by impersonating her on TV,鈥� Fey wrote in her 2011 book 鈥楤ossypants.鈥� 鈥淚 am not mean and Mrs. Palin is not fragile. To imply otherwise is a disservice to us both.鈥�

But David has not had to defend himself in such a way to either Sanders supporters or the Vermont Senator himself.听

Sanders joked in October, 鈥淚n terms of Larry David, I think we鈥檙e going to put him up on the stage at our next rally 鈥� let him do it rather than me. .鈥�

Mr. Klein tells Slate that instead of winging it, David studied debates and speeches to understand Sanders鈥� mannerisms. The skits would probably have still been successful if David was lazy about the impersonation, says Klein, but he really wanted to get it right.听

鈥淪ometimes there鈥檚 that extra element, when the sketch is about a person that everyone鈥檚 talking about and there鈥檚 a perfect actor to play them, and that actor happens to be one of the funniest people in the world,鈥� Klein tells Slate. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not the kind of thing that happens every year鈥� Even just during rehearsal, you could tell .鈥�