2008 Woodie Awards
Colbert's candidacy: Fun, yet questionable
Alex Voigt
Issue date: 10/22/07 Section: Opinions
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Look out America, the 2008 election just got interesting.
In an upcoming election that could already feature a former First Lady and one of the most recognized mayors in recent memory, Stephen Colbert decided to throw his hat in the ring.
That's right, the host of Comedy Central's beloved "Colbert Report" announced last week he intends to run for president in the upcoming election. Interestingly enough, he'll be trying to gain a nomination under both a Democratic and Republican ticket, political bias be damned.
I, of course, was one of countless college students who gave a collective "heck yes!" when the news broke about this. Colbert is one of the most charismatic personalities in television, and his show puts a spin on politics only few can do.
At the very least, Colbert would make the election entertaining. Can you imagine what he'd do to an opponent in a presidential debate?
That'd be the beat down equivalent of Tyson fighting an infant. I can already see the Nielsen ratings rising.
However, I was probably also among the masses when I asked: "He can't be serious about this, can he?"
Think about it. This is a man who makes a living off poking fun at politics. He's a walking, talking, straight-faced parody of a news correspondent.
When are we to be certain that he's not just making a joke about politics? At what point does truth end and "truthiness" begin in Stephen Colbert's world?
The very fact he's planning on running as both a Democrat and Republican makes me question his seriousness. Democrats and Republicans are kind of like the Jets and the Sharks in "West Side Story"- they don't get along.
They are two distinct political parties with two very different sets of beliefs. Colbert's logic for running for both is that they both have good ideas he wants to borrow to form his own political policy. Essentially, he's trying to move toward the middle of the political spectrum.
It's a noble intention on his part, but it's also a move that could have difficulties appealing to voters entrenched on one side or the other.
In an upcoming election that could already feature a former First Lady and one of the most recognized mayors in recent memory, Stephen Colbert decided to throw his hat in the ring.
That's right, the host of Comedy Central's beloved "Colbert Report" announced last week he intends to run for president in the upcoming election. Interestingly enough, he'll be trying to gain a nomination under both a Democratic and Republican ticket, political bias be damned.
I, of course, was one of countless college students who gave a collective "heck yes!" when the news broke about this. Colbert is one of the most charismatic personalities in television, and his show puts a spin on politics only few can do.
At the very least, Colbert would make the election entertaining. Can you imagine what he'd do to an opponent in a presidential debate?
That'd be the beat down equivalent of Tyson fighting an infant. I can already see the Nielsen ratings rising.
However, I was probably also among the masses when I asked: "He can't be serious about this, can he?"
Think about it. This is a man who makes a living off poking fun at politics. He's a walking, talking, straight-faced parody of a news correspondent.
When are we to be certain that he's not just making a joke about politics? At what point does truth end and "truthiness" begin in Stephen Colbert's world?
The very fact he's planning on running as both a Democrat and Republican makes me question his seriousness. Democrats and Republicans are kind of like the Jets and the Sharks in "West Side Story"- they don't get along.
They are two distinct political parties with two very different sets of beliefs. Colbert's logic for running for both is that they both have good ideas he wants to borrow to form his own political policy. Essentially, he's trying to move toward the middle of the political spectrum.
It's a noble intention on his part, but it's also a move that could have difficulties appealing to voters entrenched on one side or the other.