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We always knew it was coming. It’s one of their favorite plays in the Democrats’ Presidential Playbook: A cameo appearance on the final “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) before Election Day. 

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You can set your watch to it.

And if anyone in America still watched SNL, it could actually move the needle! It’s the Democrats’ last-best opportunity to improve their candidate’s likeability and reach a few million voters — and to do so without paying a dime. (All courtesy of the legacy media. Not a bad deal at all!)

It’s why I predicted on October 25 that Tim Walz would make an appearance on the November 2 SNL broadcast and try to reboot the narrative with a wacky outfit and/or sketch. (Tim Walz struck me as a much more natural ham than his running mate.)

But I got it wrong: Instead of Walz, the Dems went with Harris.

So what’s the fallout?

Next to nothing: There’s just not much elasticity between the candidates anymore. At this point, nobody is trying to decide between Trump and Harris. The only real decision left is whether or not to vote at all. And it’s hard to see how an SNL cold opening would motivate dispassionate, apathetic voters to hit the polls. 

There just wasn’t enough meat on the SNL bone.

Look, if left-leaning voters weren’t already motivated by Trump being Hitler, abortion getting banned, and the end of democracy and/or America as we know it (blah-blah-blah), an SNL cold opening with Maya Rudolph, Kamala Harris, and a few self-effacing lines won’t tip the scales in any meaningful way.

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But it certainly won’t hurt. It’s still positive PR. Showcasing Harris before a New York City audience of happy, enthusiastic people and broadcasting it nationwide is still a win. Candidates always look wonderful when surrounded by loud, friendly audiences (and butt-smooching sycophants).

Of all the plays the Democrats had left, this one always made the most sense. It’s just too little, too late. 

Furthermore, with the erosion of the mainstream media’s influence, Kamala’s total number of views will probably be 10% of what Trump and Vance received on “The Joe Rogan Experience.” No exaggeration: It’s a vastly different media climate in 2024.

There’s also the expectation problem: We already know NBC and/or SNL loathes Donald Trump! Viewers only have to be minimally observant to recognize the pure, unadulterated hatred NBC holds for Trump, Republicans, and conservative Americans. So, when SNL zings Trump and boosts Harris, there’s no element of surprise. It’s too predictable, too paint-by-numbers.

And predictable, paint-by-numbers comedy isn’t funny.

Trump has little to gain by filing an FCC complaint against the Democrats and NBC. What’s done is done. (And there’ll be plenty of times to file complaints later.) Best just to point out the hypocrisy and elitism, and then move on.

Besides, SNL is no longer “SNL.” At best, it’s been reduced to a semi-popular podcast with a few famous guests, gags, and skits that sometimes go viral on social media. It stopped being “appointment viewing” a very long time ago. Yes, its graphics and format are the same, but it’s a gutted, hollowed husk of its former greatness.

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Between 1987 and 1994, SNL averaged 10 to 13 million viewers per season. Now, it’s about 4.5 million.

Meanwhile, Trump’s interview with Rogan is now sitting at roughly 45 million views — and that’s just on YouTube! Who knows how many millions more watched it on Spotify, Twitter/X, and all the other media platforms!

In business, we often refer to the 80-20 rule. It means we typically spend 20% of our time earning 80% of our profit, but waste 80% of our time chasing that final 20%. It’s a warning: Keep your eye on the whales and don’t be distracted with minnows!

At this point, SNL is a minnow. And by appearing on Rogan, Trump captured the great while whale of American media.

Minnows still have caloric value, but when you’re losing every swing state, you’re gonna go home with an empty belly.