Comedian and fake journalist Stephen Colbert, star of the Colbert Report, has officially announced his intention to run for the office of President of the United States. He will enter the Presidential race in his native South Carolina, where he intends to run as a "favorite son" in the January, 2008 primary.
I've blogged before about entertainers entering politics, but this time the line blurring TV persona and authentic candidate is nearly imperceptible. Remember too that there is an historical precedent. You may recall Laugh-In comedian Pat Paulsen who ran for president as a gag in 1968, and then like Forrest Gump couldn't stop running.
Is Colbert, the man who nearly had a bridge in Hungary named after him, who has a Ben & Jerry's icecream flavor called AmeriCone Dream, and who is the genius behind "truthiness" and "wikiality," just toying with us or is this more than a stunt? We should know more tomorrow, after the November 1st filing deadline.
Oh, but there is one little problem. Something called the Equal Time Provision may be interpreted to mean that Colbert will have to give up his cable TV show, or force Comedy Central to offer equal time to competing candidates. Hey wait a minute, that might be pretty funny...or not!
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29 comments:
Thank You...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_po/colbert_ballot
I think Colbert would have brought a breath of fresh air into the stagnant political scene where it seems like candidates are always trying to twist your head around and make you try to believe a million different things. But with the Presidential race already introducing so many new things like candidates having MySpace accounts and the YouTube debate maybe it's best that he doesn't run this year. Although a reality like that of Man of the Year (where Robin Williams runs a show like Colbert's and is elected president) doesn't seem possible for at least another four years, it's the idea of having one of these comedy news program hosts that has been put in people's heads and eventually, it will happen. Here's to Colbert/Stewart in 2012.
If Colbert really does run for president, and it's not a stunt, then I hope people will still take the election seriously. I'm sure Americans know not to vote based on the best personality or the most humorous, but on the other hand, who knows? Though I'm sure he would not get elected, but I wonder how many votes he would really get. And I do agree that he would bring something different to the political debates, and I'm sure more people would definately tune in, simply out of curiosity.
I think Colbert running for President is a joke. He doesn't even write his own material, and with the Writers Guild on strike, I think this is just a stunt to try and keep his popularity up, while not running new episodes
Colbert has many faithful viewers but people that do vote are always afraid of taking votes away from one party and in-turn causing the rival party to win. So when it comes time to actually cast their vote they're not going to vote for someone like Colbert although they might want to. I would vote for Colbert because I'm tired of only having two choices, the republican or democratic nominees, it seems like we just have those two choices to make us feel like we have some type of say-so in our government. So really I'm all for any candidate that takes votes away from both parties.
I beleive Colbert's push for the Presidency is a great ploy to see more copies of his book, "I am American, and So Can You" (I believe that is the title). Obviously, it has worked the book recently his the top seller's list on the New York Times. I think it was a great PR move by Colbert and his people. He is expanding his exposure past cable television to sell his book. If he did run however, I might vote for him.
It is a wonder why people don't take voting for a new President serious at all. This is a joke for Mr. Colbert to go out there and run to become the next President. No wonder that a show like American Idol can go out to the American audience and run the table over the presidental race. So I do not take this serious at all and it almost makes me not care about who becomes the next president.
I think Colbert saying he was going to run for president was just a joke. Even though it would have been pretty cool had he got elected, I think it is very unlikely he would actualy win anyway.
If he were to run for President, I would be extremely sad that his show would have to end, because if this were a serious run it really would have to. I thoroughly enjoy watching Stephen Colbert's show, and I'm sure that it would give him way more plubicity than he would need for any presidential candidate. But his humor would never win my vote.
If he really was on the ballot, I would have enough trust that Americans would vote for who is more fit for the place as president rather than being swayed by the good feeling of laughter. If I was to ever be proven wrong of my trust, then maybe democracy really isn't such a good idea. Thanks, Colbert.
I think that Colbert's joke about running for President is just a big stunt in order to show how America doesn't take politics seriously. If he really did run, then the election would become a total joke, and the issue of politics would be taken even less seriously. Colbert would turn the election more into entertainment than an actual national issue.
i think that colbert runnning for the presidency is just a big joke. he has never written any of his own materials, and it is just a huge ordeal to get his new book to sale more copies and thats it. It is justa huge joke.
This made me laugh. Colbert for President, now that would be entertaining! I would have like to see him stick it out longer, but from the beginning of his campaigne announcement for president I could tell it was a joke. Haha, Colbert 2012!
Although the whole Colbert thing was just a joke it does bring to light the fact that we need some ideas and some new leadership in this country. Yes, candidates are addressing issues that Americans are concerned about but what happened to issues that still need attention like education and health care. It seems like all the candidates just jump on the current bandwagon and forget about all of the everyday things that will also matter during the course of their presidency.
Colbert's decision, or rather the joke, relating to running for president was interesting, but not in the least original. Had it taken place during the last election it probably would have gotten more press, but as it is the gag seemed to be almost directly taken out of the movie "Man of the Year," starring Robin Williams who played a comedy news reporter.
Even if this whole thing had been serious, I highly doubt he would have gotten anywhere. While a moderate sized group of people may have banded behind him, I think that ultimately Americans are much too serious about their politicians to truly elect a comedian. As for the matter of equal time, odds are he would have been asked to go off air for that time rather than winding up with the comedy channel giving time to each of the candidates.
It is incredibly sad that choosing the next president of the United States is such a joke. I love Colbert, dont get me wrong. This country is in such a mess already shouldnt we be concerned about the seriousness of those running for the presidency? As it stands so little time is given to the candidates who are serious about it.
I think that if Colbert is truly going to run for president that he is just making a joke about the presidental election. Yeah Colbert is funny and gets people's attention but we don't need that in office. We need somebody that can be able to get the war in Iraq on track. So I really hope that people can see that he is not the best canidate for our president and take the election serious.
I am huge fan of the Colbert Report and the long time comedian himself. And so my opinion of his running is probably biased. I'm not sure how serious Colbert is about running, but he has definitely caught the attention of the media. His satirical comedy is a type of constructive criticism to our nation's politics. I would vote for him if he ran, but as we discussed in class (in regard to John Stewart) not all the men on the King's court can be as free in speaking with the king as the jester. So if he really were to win, he could lose his comical edge.
I think that this is just a publicity stunt for Colbert. Every election wheather its president or mayor or governor, there is always a celebrity that thinks that they can be elected and be an efficient officer, but none of them ever wins. Arnold in California is one of the exceptions, and even he is having his struggles. Would Colbert be a good President, no one will know but I think that he is just trying to get more publicity for himself and his show, and i am glad this appeal was denied.
I think that Colbert running for president is a great thing for the US. It is a change that I feel is needed. To have a comedian who is still knowledgable about politics, yet has a side that isnt the normal politican. Even though Colbert wont win and become president, i think that we will be suprized to how many people will actually vote. I personally will vote for Colbert, because i see the need for a change in the office. Something new and different would be a great thing for this country.
Obviously this was just a stunt but honestly I'm a little disappointed. I know... a comedian running for presidency isn't really the "dream candidate," but it seems that all you need to become the head candidate is so have lots of money. It almost seems like the candidate that raises the most money for the campaign is always in the lead. It would be nice to see something different. Even if he didn't get on the ballot I'm sure he would manage to stir up the ground a little and get more young people involved in the campaigns and to actually vote!
I think that this is insane. I don't understand how people can actually take this seriously. This man is on a comedy network on a political comedy show. The show is to make you laugh about the stupidity of today, not to help you make decisions about tomorrow. I think that he is right up there with jon stewart. People need to understand that this is fake news and that these shows are just for entertainment. I think that this is pathetic. Are we in such need for another candidate that we're looking anywhere we can for "something better"? We should look at disney for our next president.
This recent development is strikingly similar to the movie that was released not too long ago called Man of the Year, in which Robin Williams plays a comedian who runs and is elected (although due to electronic errors) as president. Could this be what America, or even the world needs? I certainly believe that a candidate like Colbert would lighten-up the mood at caucuses and State of the Union addresses. Perhaps he could even draw more interest into politics and the welfare of the nation. The question is for many, what makes Colbert qualified to be president? For that matter, other than experience in other leadership or governmental offices, what makes any other candidate more qualified to run than the other. At this point in time, I don’t think it’s feasible that Colbert will make much headway in his campaign for office. However, I definitely think it will encourage much more the younger generations to get involved in decisions and voting. It is a win/win situation either way you spin it. As for the Equal Time Provision clause, I don’t think that will have much of an effect on Colbert due to the writer’s guild strike prevent new shows from being produced. In all likelihood, Comedy Central will probably cut Colbert’s time unless they can get some real humor out of Colbert’s otherwise staunch and rigid competitors.
While I think that Colbert is ridiculously funny I just don't think that he is really pesident material. We definitely have just too much serious stuff going on in the world today for us to have Colbert seriously get elected. We have the war in Iraq, and I know that he would not be able to make any wise decisions where anything serious is concerned. Yes, it's true that there are already a lot of stupid sexist and racial problems going on with the election due to Hillary Clinton, the first female candidate, and Obhama, the first African American candidate to be in the primaries but to bring such a joke of a man such as Colbert into this election would only be a terrible mistake and a total outrage to this country. This is one person who should honestly just stick to his day job or at least grow up a little so that maybe we can take him seriously in the future.
Colbert carries the ability to hold an audience and gain the fans and respect he wants, but to run in the presidental campiagn seems far-fetched. Colbert is a "fake" journalist and he brings comedic relieve to many issues relatively serious and political. For the most part I believe this could just in fact be another stunt. It all relates back to media, because he is making statements on such a serious matter that this "stunt" could be presented in order to gain popularity or attention for the sake of his show. Viewing his show for the first time convinced me that this is an intelligent and witty man who seems to have a grasp on political news; just knowing this would give me regard to watch his show more often.
I feel that Colbert running for president brings sense to the whole election. By him making fun of those who run and the commonsense that ones lack sometimes brings light to the situation and for those actually are a canidate for office in 2008.
If you understand the show and what Colbert is all about, you would know that he obviously isn't trying for the presidency. He is mocking the system and trying to get a rise out of people. Thats what he does. I think its hilarious personally. I think if he actually did run, he would bring something to the table that hasn't been there in a while. A real person! Who isn't consumed by politics and all the crap that goes with it.
Colbert isn't going to run for president and I personally believe comedy needs to be kept separate from politics. The well being of our country could not and would not be put into the hands of a comedian. I think he was just saying that to make people laugh because that's what he does for a living. This is exactly why people don't care as much as they should about who runs for president. It seems like a big joke, and the joke is going to be on us when something this stupid actually happens.
By all means, if Colbert thinks he can handle the presidency then let him run. It may not be any worse than having Arnold Schwarzenegger running for Governor of California and actually winning. It's about time President Bush is dethrowned. His tyrant behavior has gone far enough. How many more people are going to be killed because Bush thought there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and before he decides to pull out his troops? As long as Colbert doesn't start a war for no reason other than a few vague suspicions then he may not be a bad choice for president.
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Jessica Brown
Colbert for president isn't exactly what I want to hear. I think it's a publicity stunt, are we serious people? h e really doesn't have a chance in my opinion. Others may think differently though, which is fine.we need more a=of a serious candidate running for president.this again is just my personal opinion on the whole ordeal.
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