Actress Tina Fey's return to "Saturday Night Live" as Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin is not only hauling in big ratings for the sketch comedy this season, it's huge on the Web.

On the show's official site alone, Fey's debut skit as Palin last month, accompanied by Amy Poehler's Sen. Hillary Clinton, is fast-approaching 6.5 million video views. The follow-up skit, which found Poehler's Katie Couric interviewing Fey's Palin, has grabbed more than 4 million video views, while the mocking of last week's VP debate, featuring Jason Sudeikis as Democratic VP candidate Joe Biden opposite Fey, has already nabbed more than 3 million video views.

Perhaps more amazing, though, is that Fey's impersonation attracted the attention of Palin herself -- and it should. Fey's impersonation of Palin's yah-you-betcha hawkee maahm accent is dead on, and of course, it doesn't hurt that the comedy actress looks like she and the political sensation were separated at birth.

The attention garnered by Fey is giving birth to a resurgence of "SNL's" rich history of skewering politicians, which the show is currently highlighting on its Web site as Election Day approaches.

In the early years, the impersonations weren't so much about recreating the look of famous politicians, but the voices and mannerisms -- as a mustached Dan Aykroyd channeled the friendly demeanor of President Jimmy Carter, and Chevy Chase got physical highlighting the clumsiness of President Gerald Ford.

While he's famous for playing The Church Lady and Garth from the "Wayne's World" skits, Dana Carvey also carved himself a fine reputation as President George H.W. Bush by nailing such catch-phrases as "Read my lips !"

Some of the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players" appeared to be born to mock the political scene on "SNL." Before his untimely death in 1998, Phil Hartman not only left audiences in stitches as President Ronald Reagan, but chowed down the laughs as fast-food loving President Bill Clinton.

Other cast members like Will Ferrell have taken their impersonations to the extreme. Ferrell not only played President George W. Bush, but got even bigger laughs as a masculine Attorney Gen. Janet Reno in her famous blue dress. Showing a sense of humor, Reno herself appeared on an explosive segment of Ferrell's "Janet Reno's Dance Party."

Today, longtime cast member Darrell Hammond is without question the show's biggest political commodity, having played Clinton and his Vice President Al Gore, Vice President Dick Cheney and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Currently, Hammond is playing Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, while fellow cast member Fred Armisen is getting positive poll results as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

Often times, show writer Robert Smigel gets into the political act, too, with his cartoon skit "TV Funhouse." He's lampooned several politicians in the segments, which have included "The X-Presidents," a knock of the Marvel Superhero "X-Men" comic book. But in Smigel's world, former presidents Reagan, Bush Sr., Clinton and Ford are the superheroes (who've occasionally called on President Richard Nixon) to fight the bad guys worldwide.

For more, click into our slideshow to see the faces of "Saturday Night Live's" political history.