Why conservatives love Jon Stewart
It may pay off when Repubican pundits debate a liberal comedian.
Jon Stewart: Conservative darling?
(Reuters/Corbis/Eric Thayer)
If you thought Jon Stewart wouldn't be funny without George W. Bush to kick around, said Jacob Gershman in New York magazine, think again. The Comedy Central host is thriving, partly because conservative pundits suddenly love to go on his show. Cliff May, a national-security hawk and former Republican spokesman who went on The Daily Show and defended waterboarding, said Stewart is a "staunch liberal, but he's a thoughtful liberal, and I respect that." (watch Cliff May debate with Jon Stewart)
The attraction is "quite simple really," said Chattahbox. Conservative "speakers just want a chance to have their views heard from someone that is truly listening, and maybe even get treated with respect as a guest." And Jon Stewart seems to like mixing it up with ideological adversaries more than trading pleasantries with people he already agrees with.
Jon Stewart's debates with conservatives—including Cliff May, William Kristol, and Newt Gingrich—have definitely helped him "keep things interesting," said Michael Calderone in Politico. And Kristol, a frequent guest, has encouraged other conservatives to go on Stewart's show to reach an audience that sometimes tunes them out.
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6 Comments
Posted by DJ, Monday, August 10, 2009, 8:11 pm How sad is it that our political discourse has become so rancid that the only place for rational, sober debate is on Comedy Central?Liberals and conservatives meeting and discussing the issues of the day like rational adultswhere did that go? Why must we have screamers at town hall meetings, and politicians accusing each other of fascist or communist sympathies, without knowing the true extent of either one?
Posted by mjira, Monday, August 10, 2009, 9:48 pm well said
Posted by Smci, Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 9:16 am People continue to underestimate the power of jesters.Stewart is avowedly liberal and strongly proObama. He gives voice to many of the frustrations of liberals and anytime a conservative pundit shows up they just serve as a whipping boy for the superior arguments of liberals.Stewart has become a proof that liberalism is Truth, and conservatism a selfish, fear mongering facade.
Posted by Parah Salin, Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 9:23 am I can't believe that Bill Kristol would tell anyone but his worst enemy to go on the Daily Show, after his cringeworthy interview, wherein Stewart basically trapped him into admitting that governmentrun healthcare was better than private, but that it should be reserved for soldiers rather than be made available to everyone. Oh, and he also said he would still vote for Sarah Palin!
Posted by Charles Block, Tuesday, August 11, 2009, 5:20 pm I love the way you beat up conservatives. Your humor is brillant but alas one dimensional. If you could see your way clear to poke fun at Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reidwho are also attractive targets you may become a truly great comic.
Posted by Get serious, Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 9:08 am Stewart's humor may seem onedimensional, but that is because no one else is as backwards or ridiculous as the conservatives have been for the last, oh, 25 years. Stewart beats on the nonconservatives when they deserve it, but they don't deserve it nearly as much as the conservatives. Kristol makes himself look like a hypocritical fool everytime he goes on The Daily Show, so it surprises me that he encourages others to expose their lack of thought like he does.
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