“Someone who will remain Nancy Pelosi-less told Democrats to stop coming on the show.”— satirical newsman Stephen Colbert, answering a question from D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton today at a House Democrat retreat about why more members aren't appearing on The Colbert Report
—satirical newsman Stephen Colbert, answering a question from D.C. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton today at a House Democrat retreat about why more members aren’t appearing on The Colbert Report
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I've only seen the show a couple of times, but why would any politician even consider going on the show? The goal is to make politicians look foolish and say something that can be YouTubed.
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Pnnto, our side already has that wrapped up. We don't have to continually play to our base to keep them from splitting off and forming their own party.
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I think it's a shame that this Pelosi/Colbert rift exists.
It would do a lot for the Democratic brand (and for individual congress-critters) to feature Representatives who could "spar" with the "in-character" Colbert.
Sadly, Colbert got tired of being this sort of punching bag, and exhorted his political guests to say stuff like "I love Cocaine!" and generally look foolish. They obliged, and now it's considered "too risky" to appear on TCR. We are all poorer for this.
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The sad thing is that Colbert in character as a selfish, angry, greedy, ideologically rigid, chickenhawk, vaguely closeted, none-too-bright right-winger is often indistinguishable from many prominent, existing, completely un-self-aware right-wingers.
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@PerryWhite1His brilliance is that he still manages to make it good parody. At least to those who are able to buy a clue.
"Using data from an experiment (N = 332), we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements. Conservatism also significantly predicted perceptions that Colbert disliked liberalism."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/colbert-study-conservativ_n_191899.html
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@shepherdwong @PerryWhite1 My wife and I used to gape in astonishment at the right-wingers who'd go on Colbert's show early on who thought that he was on their side. He'd ridicule them right to their face and they'd smile and agree. I think word's gotten around, though -- it's not just Democrats who won't do his "Better Know a District" bits.
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@shepherdwong @Sue_N And part of Colbert's schtick is to go so over the top that it becomes sarcasm. But to some right-wingers, that sounds like an ordinary conversation.
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@Sue_N I'm guessing that since the comedy is usually aimed at the President and other politicos, and big-time journos are (or, at least used to be) so insulated from criticism of their establishment sycophancy from inside the Beltway, they never figured that Colbert's sharpest barbs would be aimed at them.
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@PerryWhite1 @shepherdwong I am still amazed that he was asked to speak at that correspondents' dinner. It was beautiful to watch, but you had to wonder who thought it would be a good idea. I still watche it on YouTube when I need a good laugh, but I kinda feel sorry for whoever had to explain it the next day.
Honestly, didn't they ever *watch* the guy?
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Oh Stephen, why can't we get you (in character) as a Senator? I would watch CSPAN daily.
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I always enjoy Rep Norton calling him ColberT (with the hard T) when she is on his show.
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Hardly news. Rahm was the one who originally circulated the idea and she just continued it.
