Not funny Jon Stewart. He just made fun of Ed, Lawrence, and everyone that says racism has anything

[jillan]

to do with the Birther movement.... even had Larry Willmore (sp?) his "Black correspondent" to make the point that racism has nothing to do with it.

[hlthe2b]

1. I don't get it... What point was he trying to make?

:shrug:

[jillan]

2. I'm not sure, but he was alot harder on msnbc than he was on faux.

Sometimes I just don't get Jon Stewart's humor.

[Enthusiast]

33. Remember Stewart on the

false equivalency. Is he trying to say the birthers had a legitimate concern? If so, he is completely full of shit -once again.

[patrice]

3. Stewart is not the great Liberal some people might think he is. nt

[FarLeftFist]

9. True, at his rally he painted himself as being a moderate.

I think he may now have painted himself into a corner.

[FarLeftFist]

4. It's strange to see that some people don't see the racial tinge in all of this.

Even in the entire GOP platform. The far right claims they aren't racist but their policies are so anti-poor and anti-middle class that 'racist' is OK shorthand. Even on the abortion issue, I swear it is racially motivated for them.

[DJ13]

5. He's trying to be middle of the road, a centrist

He'll lose his audience if he keeps up with his phony bipartisan shtick.

[lazarus]

7. he lost us a while back

with the false equivalency crap. Haele and I took him off the DVR schedule.

[wiggle-room]

6. Maybe racism isn't the motivation for the vast majority of birthers - rightwingers - Republicans.

Maybe it just isn't.

:shrug:

[FarLeftFist]

10. Birthers-YES, Rightwingers-MOST, Republicans-Some

And that 'some' is most likely a MOST.

[wiggle-room]

11. It is the cw of DU seemingly, but I don't see a lot of proof that it is fact.

JS obviously doesn't either.

[FarLeftFist]

16. Of course its a fact.

[wiggle-room]

18. But there has to me more than assertion to make that claim valid.

And like I said, I really haven't seen any proof to back up that claim.

[jillan]

17. Then why didn't anyone make John McCain show his birth certificate when he was

born in the Panama Canal Zone and not on US soil? Why do the birthers want to know how Obama got into college when no one asked that of W?

Why do the birthers hold up signs of Obama dressed as a witch doctor?


or this?


Or the recent one sent out by a congress women in California thru email that said she had the reason no one can find Obama's birth certificate and the email had a photo of 3 apes, the baby ape having Obama's face photoshopped on it?

I could go on and on, but these 2 pictures are offensive enough.

[wiggle-room]

21. Well, we raised some of those questions regarding mccain and w.

Especially w. We also went after his military "service." We also did our equivalent of accusing him of "palling around with terrorists."

Repubs and their fringe birther elements come after Obama with guns blazing because that is what they do to Democrats. They did it with Carter, Clinton, Gore and Kerry. There is no assertion they won't throw to see if it gains traction. The birth certificate thing gained some traction. The major motivation, imho, was to harm as much as possible a Democratic president. This seems far more substantiated by recent events than some racist conspiracy.

To your photos, yes, I'm sure one can find examples such as those, but they seem to me to be the exception rather than the rule. I just don't see racism on a grand scale powering the birthers, the tea party and the larger repuke party. I'd need to see some proof.

[notesdev]

24. Actually McCain had issues of his own

They passed a resolution in Congress specifically to clear up McCain's situation.

[FarLeftFist]

20. How about the FACT that all of their social policies

Are aimed at destroying minorities and the middle class.

[madinmaryland]

73. I'm sorry, but if BHO was a white man, no one would ever be questioning this.

[DefenseLawyer]

100. So what exactly was basis for the "Southern Strategy"?

If it wasn't based on a premise that most Republicans have issues about race, then what was it? Enlighten me.

[jbnow]

19. Not racism alone anyway. If he were a black republican it would be

a much smaller movement

If he were a white democrat whose dad was born in Ireland it would lack the numbers as well as the fear part of it. It just wouldn't work the same way
The whole Africa, Kenya, weird Muslim name all Arab and scary foreign sounding that makes it easier to push
To give a reason for that sense of something just not being right

If you want to offer some reasonable explanation for this ever starting and growing and being encouraged when there was NO reason for suspicion, go for it

It could be a coincidence that the first time this has happened was with Obama

Oh and if you can come up with a non race basis for 'he couldn't write that book himself' and 'how did he get into Ivy league schools' that would also be impressive.

To be fair we'd have asked that about the white little george bush too if we hadn't already known how he got it. But then he was not so smart and bragged about being a C student.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Solomon]

53. Takes a lotta work.

You know that.

[wiggle-room]

68. I like to make judgments based on fact. Evidently, Jon Stewart does as well.

I understand that some people would rather trade emotional, knee-jerk proclamations instead.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

101. Uh-huh. And maybe Republicans want all workers to earn good wages.

:eyes:

[MinneapolisMatt]

8. I think Stewart just offended

his entire Black audience by saying that.

[wiggle-room]

14. I actually appreciate the fact that he doesn't pander.

He's got his views, his opinions, and he may well be correct. But he doesn't set out to placate anyone, and I admire that.

[democracy1st]

30. he's wrong on this issue just like he was wrong saying msnbc and fox are the same.

[leftynyc]

35. I wonder if he'll re-examine

his opinion after listening to Bob Schiffer call donnie a racist. Katie Couric looked stunned and I was a bit surprised myself.

[IndyPragmatist]

75. And Fox News viewers would hold the same view as you...

To a Fox viewer, Fox is great, MSNBC is trash.
To a MSNBC viewer, MSNBC is great, Fox is trash.
To everyone else, Fox is trash, MSNBC is trash.

[WCGreen]

88. On fox you can't even believe the straight upnews...

There has to be an anti-liberal slant to each and every story.

During the day, when they are doing just news, MSNBC does a pretty good job of just presenting news...

After 4:00, it's more conjecture and ideology.

[IndyPragmatist]

98. Oh I agree, Fox is worse

but I don't like either. Ever since I found a way to watch BBC world news online, I stopped watching any American tv news.

[WCGreen]

105. I watch the BBC for news and pretty much only Rachel

[Enthusiast]

34. He isn't correct

No fucking way. The birther movement was almost entirely racially motivated.

[librechik]

84. you don't think he was placating his bosses by attacking MSNBC?

He came back from last year's summer break with a whole new attitude. And that attitude was stick it to the dems, whether they deserve it or not, find something, any perspective to make youself look less liberal and more critical of both sides. Fine, but why fixate on stuf that A isn't funny, and B doesn't really fit the criticism? It's whack. I can hardly watch him anymore.

[provis99]

36. his whole black audience? Both of them?

[Bandit]

57. Stewart has a black audience?

That is real news if it has truth to it..

[Renew Deal]

12. I think he made fun of Ed only

But Ed deserved it.

[MadBadger]

48. Yea, I think Amy Holmes was attempting to answer his question

And for whatever reason he just kept repeating it. Very strange.

But here we go again, somebody says something on DU and its just universally accepted as the truth

[CrownPrinceBandar]

65. Ed was being a dick.........

and, like you said, the ridicule was well-deserved.

[madinmaryland]

74. What did Ed do that deserved ridicule?

[CrownPrinceBandar]

79. Didn't let Amy Holmes answer..........

Its impolite, rude and is not one of the hallmarks of good journalism. I believe you should let a person have their say and THEN eviscerate them on their talking points. However, I'm not just singling out Ed here (I love his fire on the Wisconsin issue), I think its unprofessional when anybody does it, right or left.

[madinmaryland]

82. I see. Yeah, that is rude, though he is nothing compared to Tweety.

Whereas Ed does it occasionally, Tweety does is ALL the time and basically with every question he asks.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

85. Tweety won't shut up..........

I have been noticing it alot lately. Either is the talking over the person, or its the "extended questions" like Andrea Mitchell asks: The interviewer asks the question, pauses for response, the respondent starts to answer, then interviewer further clarifies the question and speaks over the respondent. Maybe its just a personal idiosyncrasy of mine, but IMHO its just rude and unprofessional.

[madinmaryland]

89. It's horribly rude and unprofessional.

It's one thing to interrupt the answer when the respondent is going off-tangent or specifically avoiding answering the question, but Tweety does it on every question.

That's what I liked about Lawrence O'Donnell when he tried to interview Orly Taits. He finally got tired enough of her evading his question that he threw her off the show. I wish that interviewers would actually try and keep their "guests" on-tangent to the questions.

[Kind of Blue]

13. KnR. He lost me in '04

during the presidential campaigns.

[UndertheOcean]

15. Yeah , Yeah, he is either with us or against us

.
..

Yes I did.

[chollybocker]

22. You do understand that The Daily Show is built on sarcasm, right?

And not a real teevee news show?

wtf. I lose more hope for humanity everyday.

:eyes:

[provis99]

37. built on sarcasm. Just like Dennis Miller.

I don't watch Miller, either.

[rufus dog]

23. If his point was that they would make outrageous claims against any Dem

Then I would have to agree. The Kennedy's were socialists, the Clinton's were murderers, yes they have a long history of making shit up.

That being said, and being on the West Coast and not having seen the show yet, I will say that there is definitely a racist element to it.

Obama didn't release his BC for two years so it is his fault is not a lot different than a black kid getting beat up in the sixty's and comments like, "he shouldn't have been in that neighborhood" or "he shouldn't have been dating that white girl."

They are 100% at fault on the BC issue and rather than man up they double down. Racism is rooted in hate as are numerous republican policies so it can be hard to differentiate the flavor of hate being served up.

[DirkGently]

96. Racism, coupled with fear mongering opportunism. Pretty dead-on, actually. Also, it was comedy.

[ecstatic]

25. I guess he only notices racism directed

towards him. Oh well. He lost me a while ago.

[Bluebear]

38. .

[toddwv]

26. I watched the show and got a completely different impression.

Larry Wilmore, the senior black correspondent, does mostly sardonic sketches.

Think irony and parody and rewatch the segment.

[Zephie]

43. Thats what I got as well.

[A Simple Game]

81. I got a different impression also.

Ours is not the only point of view, I believe it is the right one, but others don't.

I believe it is racism and think Stewart does also. Stewart was pointing out that most of those people
truly believe they aren't racist. It doesn't matter anyway, if it wasn't racism, it would just be something else.
They trash all Democratic Presidents one way or another.

And when Ed acts like Hannity or one of those others and talks over people, he deserves to be ridiculed.
Lawrence also has this same problem. I don't like it when those on the right do it,
and I don't like it when those on the left do it. Why would you interrupt someone who you disagree with
when they are trying to make fools of themselves?

And you are right, people need to watch the show again.

[stanwyck]

83. me, too. n/t

[DirkGently]

94. Exactly. Clue: the "Senior Black Correspondent" bit with Widmore is FOR racial issues.

[Balbus]

27. Those idiots deserve to be made fun of.

[democracy1st]

31. who are those idiots?

[kentuck]

41. "I hit, I run - I leave the rest to all you thinkers out there."

Nice sigline

[BlueCheese]

28. I think "birthers" are pretty hopeless.

To believe for whatever reason that Obama was not born in the US, despite the overwhelming evidence easily available to anyone, requires a profound degree of stubbornness, willful ignorance and lack of reason. To me, anyone holding such an opinion should be automatically disqualified from being taken seriously in almost any context. It's like hearing someone insist that the Earth is flat, or that 1 + 1 = 3. You'd never trust that person to do anything important.

Having said that, I'm disinclined to claim racism as the root cause of these wild conspiracy theories. This is not the first time a Democratic politician has been the subject of hate, and it won't be the last. People thought Bill murdered Vince Foster. People who still appear on talk shows and write columns thought that he was a rapist. They looked through his passport files for evidence that he had considered renouncing his American citizenship. The idea that the birther accusations are something new or different in American politics just isn't true.

If I want to be simplistic, I could argue that it's clearly not because Obama is half-black that people think he might be foreign-born. It's because his father was Kenyan. Did anyone think Jesse Jackson or Carol Moseley-Braun were foreign-born when they ran for president? If Kerry had won in 2004, amid rumors that he had been born in France, do you really think Republicans wouldn't have looked into it? When 19th century political operatives looked into Chester Arthur's birthplace, what was their motivation? (See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32440943/ns/politics-more_politics/)

Let me also say that we liberals need to be much more parsimonious about throwing out the racist label. It's an extremely serious charge, and requires serious evidence. To be a racist is to be despicable, deplorable, and utterly loathsome. To call someone that we need to be sure about what we're saying. Anyone you call a racist without basis is unlikely to listen to you or vote for you ever again.

[Solomon]

59. I like how white folks have deemed "racist" to be such a serious

charge that nobody is racist. It's so despicable that it can't be used. There has just GOT to be other reasons. Racism? Ho NOOOO!

[libmom74]

72. No kidding.

I was on another thread and made a comment about Dr Phil and his "good ol boy" brush off of Trump's statements (having spent a signigicant part of my childhood growing up in the south) and someone wrote a reply back like I was accusing all white southern men of racism, which wasn't the case. It's pretty interesting what people will say in front of you when they don't know you are mixed. I was raised by my maternal grandparents and a few of my grandfathers friends were pretty embarrassed after using the N word at our house after they were told we didn't use that word and why. My mom was blonde with blue eyes and my dad was black and 1/4 Cherokee and I'm pretty high yellow (light, bright, damn near white). What's funny though is that some of them liked to say that they weren't racists either it was just that there were good ni**ers and bad ni**ers. :banghead:

[blondeatlast]

95. Completely agree, and I'm almost as WASP as Princess Diana.

When it's so blatant, so obvious--just fucking say it.

The birthers substitute Revolutionary War garb for white robes. Period.

[winstars]

29. Sometimes I love him...

and sometimes the "humor" is amusing but then I can try to guess when Joey Scar or even Billo or Isannity will use the bit in some fucked (for us) way... Like tonight... When he used the false equivalency thingy with KO and SCUM BECK, it might have been a turning point in Phil's and the rest of the brass outlook on KO.

[Enthusiast]

32. John Stewart is wrong again.

Imagine that. The birther movement is entirely racist at heart. How else do you explain no historically comparable outrage and challenging of a president's origins?

[DirkGently]

97. Did you see the show? Can you cite which part said what you're arguing with?

[unapatriciated]

39. that's not the show I saw...

they said that racism was definitely the reason

[Phoenix63]

87. Me too... Apparently people around here

are really looking for.... excuses.

[mmonk]

40. He's probably playing the missing middle again.

[Quezacoatl]

42. Didn't the birther movement begin on stormfront

I have a general rule. I never look to a man to find out if something is not sexist and I never looked to a white man or woman to find out if something is not racist.

But I still think Stewart is funny and I'm happy not agree with him on everything

I seem to remember someone posting an article on here a couple years ago that the birther movement began on stormfront.

[PVnRT]

44. Something tells me he'd sing a different tune if this were caused by Obama being Jewish

[pipi_k]

62. And something tells me that's wrong...

because he always looks willing and able to make fun of himself and his own heritage.

[JHB]

45. So Stewart blew one. Comedians do that sometimes.

Everyone barks up a wrong tree from time to time. It only seems like a big deal because there are so few voices in the same ballpark as his with a national profile.

[DirkGently]

103. He didn't, actually. Anyone saying he ignored the racism either didn't watch it, or didn't get it.

[KurtNYC]

46. didn't see the segment -- was it sarcasm? n/t

[MadBadger]

47. I saw the segment you're complaining about, dont really agree with your interpretation at all

[itsrobert]

50. me too

I think it went over the OP's head.

[theophilus]

51. If you watch closely, imo, they said that Pres. Obama is trying to "scare old people"

just like the Republicans are doing! I thought it was pretty lame.
I watched the extended interview with Elizabeth warren from the other day and Jon kept trying to get her to explain if Republicans are just misguided or are (and he just Can't believe it) that they are truly supporting the money crowd in an evil way. Jon just seems to refuse to believe that Republicans knowingly choose to hurt the common folks. I guess Jon has a good heart and is just a tad naive?

[marmar]

52. More of his false equivalency BS?

Bill Maher called it perfectly:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/06/bill-maher-vs-jon-stewart_n_779944.html

[Bluenorthwest]

54. Missing the joke can make a person look silly...

You thought Willmore was saying the opposite of what he was saying. They have classes for this sort of thing.

[theophilus]

58. I think that you didn't understand. I believe that Wilmore said that it is not racism.

He said that it is "scaring old people". He then played a clip of Mr. Obama saying that a Medicare voucher might not cover the bills. He ended with the dichotomy "witch doctor (Mr. Obama) or "which Doctor" won't take your voucher (or something like that). I believe they were saying that both sides are trying to "scare old people". Jon says, "Well isn't that racism...scaring old people with a black man?" Wilmore says, No. Old people are scared by all sorts of stuff like message machines. He even made some tasteless reference to Mr. Obama's grandparents being scared when they saw him. No, I think you need to watch it again. I'll admit I may be wrong, but Jon really wants to believe that the extreme right and the extreme left are both clueless.

[DirkGently]

93. Scaring old people and racism aren't mutually exclusive. Widmore was being sarcastic. I'd agree the

show took a "Why is ANYONE treating the freakin' birth certificate like a legitimate issue?" stance, but given that this was based on how obviously wrong the birthers were, I don't see that as equating left and right.

Didn't Stewart title the segment "The Re-truthening of the the true thing that's still true?" or something like that?

And I've got to add -- Lawrence looked RIDICULOUS screaming at Orly. As though he wanted to silence her with the force of his anger. That's not how you show up a lunatic. You LET THEM SPEAK. She was trying to go off on a wild tangent about Selective Service or something, and he could have eviscerated her by calmly asking her to comment on the birth certificate. As it was, he looked off his meds himself.

[jillan]

64. Wow - do you get your rocks off by trying to belittle people you've never met? Does it make

you feel good to insinuate that I am too stupid to get the joke?

Oooh - you are way too cool for me!

[DirkGently]

92. Respectfully, you did not get the joke. No one arguing Stewart said birtherism isn't racist did.

Cool folks all, no doubt. But the big joke of the segment was how the MSM continued to give birtherism credence as a legitimate issue.

The next layer was that after the long form came out, MSM did the same thing by loudly asking (of itself) whether "it's finally over????!!!!"

Last was Widmore facetiously suggesting it might be better for conservatives to fear Obama as exactly the kind of dangerous African stereotype birtherism conjured, and suggesting that if anything, Obama is just the opposite -- too goofy and non-threatening.

I forget whether it was the show you're talking about or the previous night's, but I'm pretty sure one segment also featured a crazed birther / Tea Bagger "Obama as witch doctor" sign, carefully noting that it was absolutely real. No mistaking the racism there.

Humor is meant to be enjoyed. It's also subjective. But attacking Stewart on the basis of his supposed politics (he self-identifies as a Socialist, last I heard) always misses the point.



*edited for some extremely creative spelling issues.*

[mod mom]

55. Jon lost me when he equated MSNBC (fact based) w FAUX (blatant fiction)

Yes MSNBC is dominated with liberal hosts, but the GREAT difference is the liberals appreciate a fact based reality over the made up crap at FAUX.

[Bluenorthwest]

56. No clip, no quote, just some person who missed the point

shouting about how dangerous it is to allow a chicken to cross the road unaccompanied.

[pipi_k]

60. And I think he's right

I don't think people understand what racism is.

Nobody is saying that Obama is LESS THAN or NOT AS GOOD AS any white man whose father might have been born in another country.

The fact that his father was born in Kenya is incidental. He could have been a white guy born in Germany. Or maybe France. It would have all been exactly the same.

It's really unfortunate that Obama is half black, really. That only gives the people who want to see "racism" around every corner a chance to see what may not really be there.

Granted, some of the Birthers are racists, but the way people here at DU talk, one might think the entire Republican party, and anyone else who dares to look cross-eyed at a black person, are racists.

Like we're all supposed to like every single black person just because they're black or else risk being accused to being a racist.

It's getting ridiculous.

[pipi_k]

61. So, has anyone ever, like, actually asked a real black person...

if s/he thinks it's mostly about racism?

Or are people afraid to do it?

Or maybe people think they have to be the ones to raise the issue because black people are...you know...too IGNORANT to know it's racism.


You know, an addict isn't the best judge of his own addiction, so it's often left to others to intervene for him.

But being black isn't a sickness. Denial isn't part of the bargain of being black. Black people really ARE smart enough to judge whether or not something is "racist", and they don't need any help from their white "caretakers".

[madmom]

69. Yes actually I have spoken in depth about this with a black family. Unlike many

my best friend REALLY is black. I have spoken with her, her husband and her 20 something daughter about the birthers, the repug party and the trump. They DO feel it is racism, just my 2 cents.

[pipi_k]

71. OK, and there no doubt are some black people

who don't feel it has anything to do with racism.

Like the "black correspondent" spoken of in the OP.


Seems like it could all be a matter of opinion, yes?

Of course, we have no way of knowing exactly what your black friends said, so I'll have to take your word for it that they really do believe "it" is racism. Whatever "it" is.

It's a question I've long been wanting to ask when people throw that word around.

What exactly is "racist" about this whole birth certificate controversy? Like I said, it could just as easily have been a white guy who had people going after his alleged citizenship.

Look at how the Repubs dogged Clinton for years. If the same exact things were happening now to Obama, there would be people screeching about "racism". ONLY because he's black.

This is what annoys me. The very same thing can happen to two people...one white, one black...and the usual "It's racism!!!" crowd will come out.

[madmom]

80. If it isn't racism why do they use symbols that undeniably imply race..

the African witch doctor, the watermelon patch etc. They could have gone after say his big ears or the fact that he is an intellectual (we know they are scum) or even the fact that he is from an exotic island and NOT the heart of the US. I could think of others but I think I made my point.

[pipi_k]

102. I honestly can't say...

that I've seen any of those things you describe in relation to this whole birther issue. Maybe other things, but not the birther issue.

The fact that Obama's father comes from an exotic place is incidental to their goals. He could have come from the whitest of the white places on earth and if the opportunity presented itself for "proving" that he was not a US citizen, then that's what they would have zeroed in on.

I've seen nobody say...or even imply...that people from Kenya are inferior in any way.

If you didn't already know that this whole birther issue had anything to do with a 50% black man...in other words, all other things being equal except you have no idea a black man or two were involved, would you automatically assume it's racism? I'm thinking probably not.

But add in one detail...Kenya...and POOF! Now all of a sudden, it involves racism. Like anything at all negative that happens to a black person always has to involve racists and racism.

I'm honestly hoping that if you haven't already, that you never run into a black person you don't like. Because there might be someone to come along and accuse you of being "racist" if you can't give a real good reason why you don't care for this person. He or she might have a personality that reminds you of a disliked relative or hated ex-boss or something similar, but for some that won't matter. Don't even try to say, "But I really DO have black friends, you know!" because it won't be good enough to keep someone like that from calling you a racist for not liking a black person. Then I think you might understand the point I'm trying to make....

that it's not always racism just because someone says it is.

:shrug:

[madmom]

108. The exotic island I was talking about is

Hawaii, as in Obama was born on the exotic (according to freepers) island of Hawaii.
I have met black people I don't like as well as Mexican people and white people and Italian people. The thing is if I don't like them I don't go around calling them names and belittle them. If I have to deal with them I do what must be done and that's it, no more, no less, then go away and live my life.
I really think you are giving these particular people WAY to much credit as is evident by the way they act and treat people that are not like them.

[libmom74]

78. Yes it is racism. (from a mixed race person like Obama)

History books are your friend.

[robcon]

63. I agree with Stewart.

The racism angle is over-played.

[The Backlash Cometh]

66. Jon Stewart's problem is that he lives in an insular area.

A community which is the opposite of being raised in the insular communities most of us in the South are familiar with, where right-wingers still use the "N" word like it never went out of fashion and vote based on a person's skin color.

Stewart is smart in his own area of expertise, but pretty stupid on this one.

[BOG PERSON]

67. jon stewart isn't some hack on msnbc

he is a respected comedian! he is a cutting observer of contemporary reality! he is the voice of a generation! he is an institution!

[Teaser]

70. I love how almost no one here saw the segment

yet they are still commenting on it.

[DirkGently]

104. Wow, is that ever apparent. How many who SAW the show actually think he gave the racism a pass?

[Keith Bee]

106. I saw the show.....

...and the relevant segment let the racists off real easy.

[Youth Uprising]

76. Jon Stewart jumped the shark a long time ago...

I lost a huge amount of respect I had for him when I saw his pathetic rally to restore complacency. Then, I lost any shred of respect I might have had left for him when I saw his constant, unwarranted, attacks on Keith Olbermann, his constant butt kissing of GOP guests, and his disastrous interview with Donald Rumsfeld. Frankly, I think Stewart deserves some of the blame for some of the losses in the midterm elections. He's a highly influential figure and he's done more than any of us here to depress voter turnout. Had Stewart encouraged his audience to get out and vote and become involved in the political process, instead of pushing his false equivalence meme, demonizing activists and truth tellers, and telling his audience to sing Kumbaya with the right-wing, maybe we would have seen different results in the midterms. I don't fault people for not voting if their only choice was between a Democorp and Republican, but to not vote for an actual Progressive like Russ Feingold or Alan Grayson out of sheer laziness or because some hack comedian tells you that everything is going to be just fine, it just pisses me off. Stewart has proven himself to be another spineless, "pragmatist", centrist. He's become more of an annoyance now. If he can't handle the heat of what is politics, he should stay the fuck out of the kitchen. One thing's for sure, Stewart is no George Carlin.

[Phoenix63]

86. Jon Stewart deserves some of the blame for the midterm losses..

:rofl: :rofl:

So let me get this straight. You are saying that this "comedian" who runs a fake news show is partially responsible for Democrats losing the midterm elections.

So the fact that we live in a country that is woefully uninformed, that has no decent media to speak of, has a Democratic party that can't get it's shit together, is in the middle of 3 wars, has a sinking economy, record job losses, record unemployment, 10's of millions with no health care, millions who have been foreclosed on, millions who have lost their retirement, and a wealthy class that has seen it's wealth increase 20 fold, and part of it is Jon Stewarts fault?

That is some funny shit.

[Aerows]

77. I wouldn't say racism has nothing to do with it

but the main cause is ignorance. Racism is a form of ignorance, so it's really not a surprise.

[DirkGently]

90. No. Widmore sarcastically suggested letting people think a black man is a dangerous "African" is a

plus. But dissecting Stewart for sufficient liberalness is a wee ridiculous to start with. He aims for the silly, and rarely misses.

As for Ed, I love him too, but the bit with him yelling the same words at someone four or five times in a row and not permitting the other person to get a single word out in response (and it looked they wanted to agree) was not silly because Stewart showed it. It was just silly.

[TheKentuckian]

91. Birferisim may be political opportunism but only a racist would take the avenue.

Yeah, they say vile and crazy shit about ANY and EVERY Democratic President but this tact only has one place to go.

Further, the TeaPubliKlans are a racist, terrorist, bigoted organization at their very heart.

The agenda to annihilate any and every minority protection and advancement of rights is plain as the nose on your face.

Any practicing Republican is a fucked up piece of hateful and delusional shit.

[DefenseLawyer]

99. Middle ground! It's just as bad on BOTH sides! Moderation! Blah blah blah

I don't know why people get twisted up over this. I mean, he's a funny guy, but his lame pox-on-both-their-houses, "voice of reason" act hasn't changed.

[Keith Bee]

107. Kick

[Zanzoobar]

109. I don't think it's racist, per se

It's political. They savaged Clinton just as badly. Every trick was pulled to eliminate him. Obama is just the next ideological enemy in the ring.

I think it is very myopic to consider that the history of the attacks can be confined to Obama's blackness. Foolish even. Bread and circuses.

It's much bigger than Obama.