Stephen Colbert at the 2006 White House Press Correspondents Dinner

[LongTomH]

Remember this? Stephen socked it to Dubya......and to the press corpse for not doing their job! This was the source of the phrase: "Reality has a well-known liberal bias.!

[Bagsgroove]

1. I just hope going "mainstream" doesn't ruin him

I'm old enough to remember Jay Leno in his earlier years when his humor was cutting-edge and a bit daring. Then he got the Tonight Show and turned into safe-for-prime-time mush. I hope Colbert can withstand the corporate pressure to become totally inoffensive.

[valerief]

2. He's replacing Letterman, who's no choir boy. Colbert will be edgy. nt

[Orrex]

3. I remember it vividly because I simply couldn't believe it when I saw it

I don't know that there's ever been another comedy routine like it. A true master with a truly masterful piece.

There was considerable debate on DU @ the time as to whether or he had succeeded or failed in his performance, but even at the time I saw that it was an utter success. After 20+ minutes of playing to an increasingly silent and uncomfortable crowd, Colbert shows not a drop of flop-sweat.

The audience expected him to deliver a funny and harmless schtick. What they got instead was a long overdue ass-kicking that probably still smarts to this day.

[gwheezie]

4. It was brilliant

Colbert IMHO is one on the great satirists the country produced. I don't expect him to keep his character going. There is no point in a new show but I expect the wit to continue.

[greatlaurel]

5. K and R! Well worth watching over and over again.

[truebluegreen]

6. Wow. I had forgotten how brutal that was...and how it went over like a lead balloon.

The expressions on the people in the audience were priceless and I particularly loved the steam coming off Dubya. I remember when Stephen's show started and I wondered if his schtick had staying power. I'll glad it did, and even got better and better and better. By the end I preferred him to Jon Stewart (who is easier on his targets, maybe because he buys at least somewhat that false-equivalency thing).

[Derek V]

7. Actual Patriotism

Not the faux or FAUX News version!