Mediaite: You know who should host SNL? Glenn Beck

Actually, it’s a brilliant idea.

Someone at 30 Rock needs to approach Glenn Beck and ask him to host SNL, pronto. They could use Beck’s opener today in lieu of an audition tape. The White House’s decision to treat Fox News as an opponent might just be the best gift Beck has ever received; between the red phone on set, the grip whose job it is to sit beside it in case the White House calls, the chalkboard, and Beck’s impressions, his opener this evening may have been the best 20 minutes of television you’ll see all day.

In the 45 second clip below, Beck channels Shakespeare, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, and Fred Armisen as President Obama.

They’d eat boatloads of crap from the left for “legitimizing” Beck by letting him host, but let’s face it: Ratings would be stratospheric and he’s already been duly “legitimized” between the Time cover and the Katie Couric interview (not to mention the minor fact that his ratings are sometimes double the other three cable news nets combined). He’d probably jump at the opportunity, too. Remember, this is a guy who describes himself as a rodeo clown and who’s known to take a week off from his show to do politically flavored stand-up. How could he resist a shot at the big stage? He’s also someone who, to his credit, is willing to laugh at himself, so presumably he wouldn’t mind the endless jokes goofing on his show and his persona. Just imagine the Glenn Beck/Fred-Armisen-as-Obama Oval Office tete-a-tete. Imagine it.

Of course, if he keeps dumping on the show, it’s probably not going to happen.

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