Jon Stewart Mocks Kerry For 'Balance'

[Presstitutes]

http://www.presstitutes.com/presstitutes/2005/11/jon_stewart_moc.html

A few weeks ago we wrote, "Jon Stewart seems to be suffering from an affliction that pervades mainstream reporting: the desire to appease both sides by being an equal opportunity critic. Pre$$titutes are fond of wrapping up negative reports about Republicans by saying "Democrats aren't doing any better," or "Democrats don't seem to be capitalizing on Republican problems because they lack a message. That pretense to fairness would be cute if Democrats and Republicans shared power, but when the right has an iron grip on America, and when it's becoming crystal clear that the administration committed the gravest of sins by lying us into war, going after both sides is a cop-out..."

Needless to say, we got a very mixed reaction to the post, with some readers angrily attacking us for taking on a comedy show and telling us to stick to mainstream Pre$$titutes. But we consider Stewart an important influence on the political discourse and when he uses the worst kind of he said/she said techniques and when he repeats the same shop-worn media narratives about Bush and Democrats, we think he's fair game.

On tonight's show (11/30), Stewart starts with a good piece about Murtha, Schmidt and Bush. But he ends the segment with a pointless slam against John Kerry. He takes Kerry's words completely out of context and does nothing more than regurgitate tired media storylines about Kerry being 'muddled.' It's total bullshit and Stewart should know better than to dilute his Bush piece by taking a cheap shot at Kerry.

Now fire away...

[MADem]

1. It wasn't my favorite segment, either

But I guess he figures if he doesn't do a little tweaking on the other side, he won't be able to get the odd rightwing blowhard in the seat to tweak him in person!

[Lindacooks]

2. That reminds me of an incredibly stupid thing Letterman did

He put together this collection of clips of President Clinton taking breaths before speaking, and ran them together very rapidly. It was the dumbest thing I have ever seen, obviously done because they couldn't find anything he actually did or said that was embarrassing or stupid.

Needless to say, Letterman got a letter from me that evening.

[Craig3410]

94. I think Letterman's a "lampoon whoever's president" type of show...

as the thousands of "A Moment With George W. Bush ", "George W. Bush Joke that's not really a joke", "Late Show Fun with Editing the President", "George Bush's Spanish is better than his English", etc.

[Lindacooks]

161. Oh, I know that. The thing is, this was done two weeks ago.

Not back in the 1990s. That's what made me so mad.

[SoCalDem]

181. That's the one thing that Dave does that really pisses me off

He still makes jokes about Clinton. Clinton is NOT president anymore, and his issues are well-known.. When Bush1 became president, the jokes abour Reagan stopped, and when reagan became president the jokes about Carter stopped..

Clinton is the ONLY president who continues to be ridiculed by the media, long after he's left office. i think it's a concerted effort because he was/is so popular, and is young enough to do bigger/better things..and to affect policy in come way.. Someone has decided that he must continue to be marginalized.

[whometense]

3. I agree.

I love Jon Stewart, but don't know why he insists on doing this with Kerry's appearances. He surely has the intelligence to figure out what Kerry's saying. Not funny, and it makes me sad.

[pstans]

4. Stewart has always said that his show was a comedy show first

He seems to be bashing Bu$h and the Republicans because they are the ones in power. I think if the Democrats were in power, then he would be making jokes about them.

[Ekirh]

7. Definitely

I had no problem with the Kerry "slam". Not my favorite part of the show but no problem with it.


The comment about Murtha getting laid is probably my favorite comment of the night though.

[kansasblue]

10. Ekirh... the burger king is scary. Like a bad clown.

(just a bit off topic)

[Ekirh]

11. Tis okay . .

I'm use to my sig taking precedent over me. :)

[Richard Steele]

86. That is by far the best comment on those horrible BK commercials!

That's an instant classic!

Is it your original?

[Ekirh]

108. Sadly no,

I don't even remember where I saw it . . . I saw it went "AHHHHHHHHH" then moments later I realized. . . woah, that's my new sig (I had to retire the commie dog for being too big and for getting more attentiion than me).


So I loaded it made it my sig and now it gets more attention than me.


I just can't win.

[liveoaktx]

20. Bwahahahahahahah-the Burger King pic is hilarious

Jon Stewart is FAKE NEWS. Wrong to put him into the presstitute camp of those who are supposed to be fair and impartial reporters for the news.

And I agreed with him about Kerry. Did you see the DailyKOS blurb that Kerry bogarted the limelight today?

[MH1]

69. Yeah, the unsubstantiated rumor

from an avowed serial Kerry-basher?

The post that after multiple requests not a single person could provide any source (let alone credible) for?

I saw it.

Speaking of Pre$$titutes...or I guess in this case Pre$$titute wannabes...

[liveoaktx]

73. Geez, went back and looked -345 comments

but an assortment of views on all sides.

[MH1]

76. And not a single link to a credible source. n/t

[liveoaktx]

80. I don't read KOS all the time so you would presumably know better

than I if that is a serial Kerry basher.

[Mass]

113. Trusting kos on Kerry is like trusting Bush on Iraq

Only a fool would do that!

[seabeyond]

116. aint that the truth n/t

[Mr_Spock]

179. He will bash those in power. You are correct

Love it or leave it - that's what he does.

[RagingInMiami]

5. It's only comedy

[seabeyond]

6. and totally ignored that kerry had come out with withdrawal plan

a good week or two before murtha.

i was gasping of all the little fibs, (in ommitting) jon committed with the kerry piece

peloisi was gooood though

[blm]

144. Stewart's bending over backward to please the RW - CNN, Koppel, and others

who influenced the perception through news actually succumbed to the same pressure, so it's not surprising that Stewart, as a non-journalist, would.

Kinsley once said he wanted a news media that just gave the facts and didn't use the other side stories if there were no facts that supported the other side just to promote a FALSE sense of balance.

[FreedomAngel82]

8. It makes me sad

when people don't respect an intelligent man. *sigh* Yes, Kerry does use big words and talks a lot and yes America has been dumbed down but ya shouldn't mock Kerry for it. It's who he is. I like him that way since I love intelligent men. *sigh* :cry: Maybe it's a weird inside joke I don't get? :shrug:

[wisteria]

18. No, I don't get it either. I don't find it funny at all. Mock him for

silly things if he has to,but not for important issues like this war,adding credance to the idea that Kerry is unclear. I personally don't have a problem understanding his position.

[WiseButAngrySara]

27. I'm with you FreedomAngel82! ....n/t

[insane_cratic_gal]

9. He's allowed to speak his mind

if that's how he feels about Kerry, then that is how he feels. It's not how I feel about Kerry, but I don't begrudge people for that opinion.

Why can't it be that simple? Why is it because he's a comedy show and an "influence" he's not allowed to speak what is truth to him?

Are we not about differing opinions? I don't think he's pandering to being balanced. He's saying what he believes to be truth. Considering that dems are not all on board about Iraq, or any other issues besides W being the anti christ, I think there is a small amount of truth to what he said.

Considering we keep attacking EVERYONE whose opinion differs from our own, it's a good way to keep everyone off message and not form a united front.

I bet he believes W is an idiot
I bet he believes Iraq was a mistake
I bet he believes a lot of what we believe, the essential stuff, the bones of the democratic party.

Maybe we should all stop having knee jerk reactions, (myself included) and study why that is being said vs flaying a person for saying it.

Just a suggestion of course.

[Presstitutes]

15. One of the main objectives of my blog

is to chronicle the means by which pro-Bush and anti-Dem media narratives filter into the public psyche. Granted Stewart isn't a 'Presstitute' by any stretch, but when he helps disseminate GOP-based memes, I think it's important to point it out.

[seabeyond]

26. the same caricature that media created of kerry, jon put out

in manipulation of speech and facts. so he absolutely, not in honesty, reinforced media version of kerry

[wisteria]

61. Absolutely! And for nothing but cheep laughs. n/t

[liveoaktx]

65. I get a cheap laugh every time Stewart does the Bush snicker

Surely you're not saying that Stewart, as a comedian, has to be hands off certain people, just because they're Democrats.

[Craig3410]

96. Bingo;

he's said hundreds of times before that he lampoons everybody, not just only D's or only R's.

[wbarnhill]

29. How in the hell is it a GOP-based meme?

Are you really that far gone to look at a comedy piece as an attack? :wtf: Geez.

[seabeyond]

33. boring and doesnt have a plan. that doesnt sound oh so

familiar to you

[liveoaktx]

34. Agree. Go after the "news" people who aren't doing their jobs instead of

comedians. You lose credibility as a source to discuss "presstitutes" when you include Jon Stewart in the mix. He's on Comedy Central, fer crissakes, and can make fun of whoever he wants.

[wbarnhill]

36. Seriously...

I thought I was far left, but just looking at posts like this where people get upset that a COMEDIAN makes 1 joke out of 40 about a Democrat makes me think I must be far more moderate than I thought... Wow.

[seabeyond]

41. you are missing the point. yes that is all it was. and yes, it was

the same thing media said over and over and over about kerry thru out the campaign. painted picture that was not true, but no one could break thru because, hell,.... it was the storyline of media

so stewart picked up the same storyline and used it

what..... we cant say it. doesnt mean i have a problem with stewart or am going to quit watching. i know he isnt a great fan of dems either. but still, i am allowed to say same bullshit media says, yes it is old

that makes me far left? you are crazy. not even

[liveoaktx]

49. Media story aside, I find Kerry ponderous.. I don't think about him

this way because media hoors have painted him this way but because that's how he strikes me-it's a style issue. I prefer succinctness and brevity. So I found Stewart's jokes funny tonight. Maybe if I liked Kerry more I would be cut to the heart, but laughing at him has nothing to do with any Republican paint job.

[ProSense]

54. Succinctness and brevity?

Look at how you write and you find Kerry ponderous?

[liveoaktx]

56. Yes. My style of writing is not at issue unless you choose to make

it so. I'm speaking of listening to Kerry. I find him ponderous, definition

Lacking grace or fluency; labored and dull: a ponderous speech.

You may not find him so, fine. But it's my opinion and why I enjoyed the Stewart joke.

[seabeyond]

62. but i dont care if he is dull or boring. i care if he is smart. if he

is a thinker. if he problem solves. if he can be effective. i dont want to be friends or have beer with the man. i want an intelligent hard working person as our president. or a hard working smart person planning the withdrawal of our troops for both the sake of their lives and the innocent lives in iraq. i dont have to have a charming clinton, or a down home bush. i just want someone who has a brain, and thinks things out and comes up with solutions. he can be ponderous. i can easily get beyond that. and i can do ponderous for a mere handful of minutes, for those results

[liveoaktx]

70. But that's the point-Stewart is not lampooning his brain but his style

Even when he is lampooning Bush, quite often he's not attacking his stupidity, but Bush's mannerisms, and quirks. You yourself are saying that, smart or not, Kerry can be ponderous. So is Stewart, but in a humourous way.

[seabeyond]

72. but he said kerry had no plan.

and that isnt true. he acted like murtha was the first one to speak up. that isnt true

[liveoaktx]

79. Made me go back and look again

He didn't say Kerry had no plan. He said the democratic party was as eager as him to discover what the debate is about and "No one understands you". I can't find where he said Kerry didn't have a plan. Too sleepy right now to clip it.

[seabeyond]

82. i thought i heard a mumble of it at the very end. i am

toooooo sleepy too live. oh and also, i loved the ko tape you put out. and telling husband about it, he didnt get it, so i went back to your clip. he got it. thought it funny . thanks. i love that you do that

sleep tight

[liveoaktx]

143. Awake now and I clipped that part-VIDEO

TDS

Stewart didn't say that Kerry didn't have a plan, he said people can't understand him. I don't know what Stewart said at the end but it wasn't Kerry has no plan.

I've said before, it's a style issue. Some people are better public speakers than others, and Stewart's point is that the Dems ought to send out an excellent rebuttal speaker. I share the opinion with Stewart that Kerry is not that one.

(PS. I voted for Kerry. I worked for his campaign. I didn't do it because Kerry was my first choice, but originally ABB, and then I came to like him okay. But you know, as I do, that when we went to vote in the primary in Texas, our vote counted for crap because Kerry had already been decided on. I would like to participate in the presidential primary and have the nominee decided on at the convention so that my primary vote wasn't a meaningless exercise.

[seabeyond]

145. I voted for Kerry. I worked for his campaign..... i know you did

and this is another, i know you supported him. and you wanted him to win. i was kinda where you were, not first choice, i too wanted opportunity to participate in primary. i am not a blind kerry supporter that is just in love with the man, against all reason. i am a very pragmatic person, lol lol. not a lot into the emotional

i dont want anyone to have to defend themselves to point of stating you voted and worked for. i dont think that is fair either.

simply i learned to value kerry and appreciate his worth. his way. his style. i saw an opportunity for a smart experienced man to get into whitehouse. and i fell in love with Teresa, wink. lol lol. being around only texas women, she was fun.

thank you for your work on this

[ProSense]

64. You're right

I don't find him dull, but I also don't find him easy to understand. And given the availability of transcripts, I find the repetition of the "I don't understand him" meme tiresome. As for that bit Stewart ran, I know how to distinguish funny from silly.

[alarimer]

85. This is a ridiculous argument.

they can't possibly mean it's not okay to mock Democrats from time to time. It is primarily a comedy show and should not be considered a news show. So EVERYONE is fair game. The Democrats do NOT have a plan and are so busy (at least some are) trying to go after the "mushy middle". They have no spine, no guts (with a few exceptions like Murtha). They are most certainly deserving of mocking.

[insane_cratic_gal]

38. But do you really believe

that Jon's filter is effecting those who view his show to believe he's some how ...ah CNN? Did you not watch his coverage of Plame, his slam on the Press for their insane obsession with faulty landing gear on planes vs actual news?

Media is not about news anymore. It's about Hype and live reality TV.. (thanks OJ and the bronco chase). It's about standing outside in Hurricane winds, or hyping whatever scares the american public the most.

Does Jon not act shocked, like us, when press corp grows a spine and actually lobs hard questions at this Admin. We do know that Jon alone can't carry the world on his shoulders right? He's not media he'd be the first to tell you that. Lets get to the truth, if the media were doing their job, we'd be perfectly happy with Jon. Because they have failed the public and the truth we lay the torch at the feet of Stewart and Olberman.

You have to admit that Stewart gives more to this community(media) in laughs and intelligence then Cnn, MSNBC, combined? I can only think of one other show I'll watch now.. Count Down.

That's it!.. I think removing the gun from your own foot is a wise idea when we only have 2 people who express liberal ideas on TV.

I'm not flaming you.. it's just frustrating because we are frustrated that the Corporate news panders to money not truth. We there for lash out at everyone because of our own inability to get the truth spoken. Seems like a vicious cycle to me with no end in sight.

[seabeyond]

44. i dont always agree with olderman either. and when i dont

i say something. i can like 80% of his show. doesnt mean i like a 100%,. and doesnt mean i am not going to watch.

i love stewart. i watch every night. it is never all good for dem. he never really praises dems. he feels more like a moore, almost as pissed at dems. i get it

and he is funny

[upi402]

45. agreed

[wisteria]

12. I agree, I've noticed a lot of this from Stewart. I want to contact him

and let him know how I feel, but you can't post and e-mail to him. Do you have any suggestions other then snail mail?
Why is it always Kerry that gets slammed? I have no difficulty in figuring out where Kerry stands on this issue.

[Mr_Spock]

182. Can you imagine Jon doling out jokes on Kerry!

Why I never! I mean, it's called the "Bash only republicans show" right? Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeese, grow a spine :eyes:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Bill Maher does the exact same thing you describe - he always

throws in the trash about clinton and monica. Very good observation! However, Stewart is right, Kerry meant well, but couldn't seem to get out a plain, ordinary sentence, if his life depended on it.

[wisteria]

23. I had no trouble following him and I'm a plain ordinary person.

Maybe the problem is some people don't want to listen- even for thriry seconds.

[seabeyond]

50. this is what i have found. i would listen to a kerry speech only

to have people then say, kerry had no plan. no, you didnt listen. to boring listening to education plans, or health care plan, or small business plans. i understand. boring, ya..... but os is sittin in a class in a lecture. doesnt mean we dont listen, to learn. 20 friggin minutes. surely, we can listen for 20 minutes with our and our childrens future

[Laura PourMeADrink]

93. Well, I would think that the fact that people "don't want to listen

for thirty seconds" is something that we can not change. People listen longer when someone connects with them. Just think how compelling Murtha is. He commands attention. Kerry does not. It doesn't mean that what he is saying is not good, just not captivating. Kerry is an intellectual. He tries to make finer points when using the english language. It might be ok, if you were a professor, but not a politician. IMHO

[izzybeans]

14. Uhhhmmmm. "I'm not going to be your monkey." comes to mind.

Seriously are we seeking this much purity?

[Presstitutes]

22. Please read my response to a previous poster

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=5490345&mesg_id=5490451

To repeat: "One of the main objectives of my blog is to chronicle the means by which pro-Bush and anti-Dem media narratives filter into the public psyche. Granted Stewart isn't a 'Presstitute' by any stretch, but when he helps disseminate GOP-based memes, I think it's important to point it out."

[izzybeans]

24. So any joke about a dem is anti-dem? Why not a loving critique?

It seems you might avoid this by having a definition of Presstitute and creating a chronical of their pro/anti activities.

[NYCGirl]

But Kerry's inability to speak succinctly isn't a Democratic thing or a

Republican thing. It's a Kerry thing. Jon isn't poking fun at Democrats or repeating an anti-Dem narrative; he's poking fun at John Kerry.

[MH1]

Actually, it's a media thing.

Kerry frequently speaks succinctly. Sometimes he rambles. Name a politician that doesn't ramble sometimes. Kerry may speak in long-winded sentences more often than others. But that, in and of itself, does not make him especially difficult to understand, for anyone who bothers to listen.

The media has exaggerated Kerry's 'longwindedness' and made people buy into the exaggerated version.

All the op is saying is that Jon is reinforcing that, and it's not helpful.

[NYCGirl]

78. You're right about one thing — Kerry's long windedness does not make

him difficult to understand.

But it does make him easy to lampoon and ripe fodder for comedy.

[wisteria]

30. Yes, until, I see him mock repubs besides Bush, like McCain and Frist

as much as he mocks Dems, then I won't get upset.Now, its painful for me to watch as I understand that people are actually influenced by his show.

[izzybeans]

42. Huh?

[wisteria]

63. I've never seen him mock any republicans except for Bush and

perhaps Channey. I've often seen him mock Hillary Clinton, President Clinton, Kerry, Reid etc. Whats Huh about that.

[izzybeans]

154. Have you watched it?

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/play.jhtml?itemId=12812

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewide/media_player/browseresults.jhtml?showId=934

[liveoaktx]

157. Not so. Last night, for example, he mocked Jean Schmidt

and I've seen him go after a raft of Republicans.

He's an equal-opportunity mocker.

[norml]

16. Sadly Jon was correct. Kerry can be blunt. When he thinks the mic is off

he calls them the biggest bunch of lying crooks he's ever seen.

When the mic is on, he's way too wordy, and way too polite.

[NYCGirl]

19. Interesting you mentioned that "crooks and liars" statement Kerry made.

That "off the record" comment probably got more press than anything else he said during his entire campaign.

[wisteria]

35. Now you see, I don't find him wordy at all. I don't think it looks good

for a leader to act otherwise by going around making careless statements. I don't get what is so funny about providing detail and being polite.

[norml]

52. Providing detail and being polite is good for some things, not for others

and it can sometimes be very funny indeed.

Sometimes what is required is being simple, and being rude.

Of course sometimes that can be very lampoonable too.

[norml]

17. Of course you are correct too, about the "balance" thing.

Tis sad.

[earthside]

21. Oh, please ...

... Kerry is a loser who wants a re-do in 2008.

Sheesh. Why didn't Kerry say what Murtha said during the presidential campaign?

I thought the Daily Show segment on Kerry was well deserved and pretty funny -- because it was exactly that kind of inability to state plain truth that got Kerry in trouble in 2004.

I voted for Kerry, I campaigned for Kerry ... and I think Kerry actually won the election. But he is old news. It's time to move on.

[wisteria]

46. Oh please ,Why didn't Murtha come out before now? He waited until after

Kerry made his Georgetown University speech -three weeks to be exact- then he spoke up. He really doesn't even offer a detailed plan like Kerry does.
Speak for yourself, I do not think of Kerry as old news. I think he is offering fresh ideas and is working hard to reach out.

AND, I HOPE HE DOES DO A RE-DO IN 2008. IF ANYONE DESERVES ANOTHER SHOT AT IT, IT IS KERRY. CONSIDERING THE CURRENT GROUP OF POTENTIALS I WOULD WORK AND VOTE FOR KERRY AGAIN.

Why don't you do us all a favor, and "move on" and "get over" the last election.

[wbarnhill]

25. Oh come on...

You're upset because he makes one jab at Kerry when he makes persistent jabs against the right? Sigh.

Chill out. It's COMEDY. (Latin for LAUGH.) (Not really.)

Yeesh.

[wisteria]

48. Actually, he does it frequently.

I'd "chill out" if I didn't feel people actually take Stewart seriously.

[ProSense]

28. Completely agree.

The transcript of today's press conference by Kerry and Reed is available, can someone actually say they don't understand it? I saw the broadcast and read the transcript, same words.

Kerry did an excellent job. The joke today was on Bush, Stewart had to really stretch it to include Kerry. Why?

[wbarnhill]

32. Psst. Know what station the Daily Show is on?

Just out of curiousity. That SHOULD give you the answer to your question.

[ProSense]

40. Everybody understands humor

It's apparent not everybody understands english.

[wisteria]

Now thats funny and true. n/t

[Malikshah]

31. Uh...."balance??" Sorry, Kerry's response was at best

underwhelming. Ignoring the fact is to enable the "More of the Same" "Conventional Wisdom" crowd from getting us in the same mess...

Fool me once shame on you...

Fool me twice...

;)

*dons kevlar and asbestos*

[wisteria]

55. Oh, why was it then that he was able to be understood by

millions of media viewers today. The Dems don't seem to be saying immediate pull out- I think Kerry presented a clear position on where most of us stand.

[Malikshah]

83. It's not about being understood--it's about exhibiting a clear, and

unequivocal message in a determined, forceful tone. It's about providing leadership that all can feel comfortable in following.

The Democratic solution has been there, but our messengers have largely been ineffective.

Yesterday was simply more of the same and Jon Steward and the Daily Show pointed that out-- quite clearly as well.

[Skwmom]

37. I've found that Republicans are more willing to listen when you

don't blindly support every Democrat.

[wbarnhill]

39. Exactly..

Aren't we supposed to be fighting against blind unwavering dedication?

[wisteria]

57. Well that certainly is a good point, but why attack someone on

something so important as a clear message? That to me is unfair.It leave the wrong impression IMO.

[skipos]

180. GREAT point! nt

[upi402]

43. he *is* the balance

dammit jon, they are bags of doorknobs, and not deserving of civility.

[Swamp Rat]

47. I thought it was funny!

:)

[upi402]

51. of course, but Jon's no Shitboat Veteran now is he?

hmmm???
:rofl:

[Swamp Rat]

60. "Shitboat Veteran?"

I haven't heard that one before. :shrug:

[upi402]

163. Sorry swamprat, I just cannot say sw..swi... swiffffff....sw sw swift...

I mean Kerry has integrity compared to paid gang of rightards that torpedoed his naval service record for *.

[Swamp Rat]

164. Ah, I understand now.

:)

[ClusterFreak]

53. Jon's "balanced" approach doesn't bother me one bit.

Kerry's comments were cut up to make him look like a boring, bumbling, pedantic bore. For comedic effect. Jon cuts clips of Bush like this all the time, to highlight his defects (of which there are many). Again, for comedic effect. I think Jon keeps the right-wingers off his case by being "balanced" like this.

[wisteria]

58. His show isn't for right wingers though. They have enough of

there own shows.

[liberalpragmatist]

59. I thought it was a little gratuitous

But while people criticize him for trying to remain objective, he does have a need to be somewhat even-handed if he's going to attract Republican guests and not completely alienate people who don't agree with him.

And let's face it. Though I like the guy, Kerry's an easy target. He is too often very verbose and he does tend to fall back on vague platitudes. It's something that has long dogged him and he sometimes overcomes it, but sometimes he doesn't.

Now that said, I didn't think his press conference was bad. And most of the stuff Stewart said was a little out of context. But Jon's a comedian and will poke fun at whoever, whenever.

[seabeyond]

66. exactly to all you are saying. it isnt a matter of jumping on jon

or banning his show. or crying foul. but surely, when we see this, we can say something, even if it is comedy. (he talked awfully politically serious to peliosi) and even if it is one of our favs, stewart

[wisteria]

68. Maybe thats why I am upset over this more than usual, Kerry

was great in the Press Conference today, and Stewart made a mockery of an important rebuttal from the Dem's. He may have even inadvertently lost us some credibility with viewers.

[seabeyond]

71. this is my thought and he has done it more than once. a couple weeks

ago when the dems went into closed session. jon says about time the dems did something. they demand now, 2 and half years later for accounting of the war. took them two years to finally getting around to demand accountability

well, the dems have been demanding a lot of things, often. and they get no where. they get no press. the repugs dont do. the reugs say no. but stewart acted like, on national tv this was the first time the dems have asked for information on the war

here it is well two weeks later, a month. i bet dems still arent getting it.

jon acted like this is it, now they will get it. they didnt

now when the dems do it again, is jon gonna remember they have been asking, it is the repugs not giving. or does he dismiss the dems again, as having done nothing

[KharmaTrain]

67. For Some...Kerry Means Loser

Sorry...but I hear this not from Repugnicans, but from long time Democrats. It's not personal, it's the fact Kerry not only lost last year, but looked so inept in doing so. While he's no Dukakis, he still represents what many feel was a humiliating loss...an election that was Kerry's to lose...which he did.

There are still a lot of us who are angry about what happened last year and seeing Kerry brings back all the lost opportunities. While I agree with many things the Senator said today, it's, again, a year late and many dollars short.

[wisteria]

74. Kerry represents a man who came close to winning last year.

People wouldn't perceive his as you suggest, if people like Stewart would stop feeding into the misconceptions of Kerry's abilities and personality.

I don't know where you come off suggesting he looked inept. If anyone looked inept, it was Bush. Kerry wowed people during the debates and if you actually got an opportunity to attend a rally you would not have seen an inept or even long winded person.
It's people like you and Stewart that won't let him forget that he lost a close race.
Kerry deserves better treatment than this.

[seabeyond]

77. we would be so thrilled watching kerry's rallies. i remember

the enthusiam. and media would say over and over and over, no one likes kerry, they just dont like bush. oh that was so irritating

[KharmaTrain]

81. I Knew This Was Gonna Happen

I almost always avoid these "debates"...as out come all sorts of knives, accusations and excuses.

I expressed opinions about Kerry I regularly hear. Close doesn't count. For whatever reasons he lost, he still lost. It's not personal, it's politics. He had his chance, he didn't want it as much as the other guy and he lost. I won't make excuses and I'm tired of others trying to make up excuses for him. If anything, it will keep me from ever considering any support in the future.

And, yes, Kerry ran an inept campaign. He couldn't come out and say the Iraq invasion was a lie when he knew it...we all knew it a year ago...and let himself get bound up in rhetorical games that made him not only look weak and indecisive, but IMHO opened the door for the slimeboating.

Are we supposed to pretend last year didn't happen? Sorry, this person doesn't wear blinders or rose-colored glasses.

Peace...

[seabeyond]

75. kerrys election to lose. that alone is the BIGGEST falsehood

that we spread. do i need to tell you all the reason it wasnt a race for "kerry to lose". that bush was a tough opponent. i mean, if i have to go thru them all, once again, i will. but surely you are capable of thinking back to that time and coming up with them yourself

and

i dont believe kerry lost

[sendero]

84. I'm a Democrat, I sent JK..

.... money and voted for him.

And I think he's muddied.

The fact that if you dig through his voluminous speeches and writings, he does have an overall message is moot.

He is UTTERLY INCAPABLE of relaying that message to the vast majority of Americans who need clear, concise sound bite explanations because that is all the time they have or are willing to devote to politics, which many Americans have written off completely as a lost cause.

The Republicans EXCEL at doing this and if we ever want to regain power, that is one of the main things we have to do. And Kerry sucks at it ... just plain SUCKS.

Anything a thousand words can do, a conscise 20 word summary can do better.

IMHO.

[Presstitutes]

88. With all due respect

this caricature of Kerry is EXACTLY what months and years of Pre$$titution leads to. This is EXACTLY what they want you to believe.

Grab a Kerry transcript and point out where he is "UTTERLY INCAPABLE" of delivering a clear, direct message.

[sendero]

90. I watched his campaign..

... and I stand by my opinion. He cannot distill his ideas into short aphorisms that sell.

I totally agree that he should not have to - but that is the environment we live in.

[seabeyond]

101. so bush and repug and three word sentence and dumb down

has won.

f* that

took a wholelot of words out. is that short enough to understand. get the concept. the jest.

[sendero]

102. Concise speech..

... is not synonymous with "dumbing down". It is a gift that some people have and others do not.

Kerry doesn't.

[seabeyond]

104. i listened to the man last night. there was not one big word that

i did not understand. there was not one complete sentence that had me baffled. my 8 year old would have been able to understand everything kerry said when i listened to his speech on cspan. i dont know what more you what. i just do not know.

[sendero]

107. Well I didn't see that speech..

... so maybe things have improved.

Bottom line, I entered this thread to defend Jon Stewart's observation.

I get sick sick sick of folks bitching and moaning when someone who is obviously on our side makes a valid criticism of one of "ours".

His point was on point, and lots of people here just want to deny that there are ANY shortcomings in our favorite "leaders".

Nobody is perfect, not Kerry, not Dean, not Clark (though he's close :)) not anybody. Getting all pissed off because a pundit/comedian points out that your man isn't fully dressed either is juvenile. And frankly, the fact that it hits such a nerve with some folks says a lot about its accuracy. If it were total bullshit, nobody would care at all.

(I'm not accusing you of jumping on Jon - I'm talking about the thread in general).

[seabeyond]

109. the argument is, it is not valid. you didnt listen to kerry

yet you say his point was on point. it exactly was not on point. then if i dont agree with you (though i heard the speech) you tell me what i saw, i really didnt see and just wont admit it. what bullshit.

i am listening to you say exactly what repugs and media played during campaign. it wasnt true then, it isnt true now. did you listen to the few speeches we had the opportunity to hear during kerry campaign. they didnt play many of them. and most he got 2 minutes then they cut away. like two three times they played kerry's whole speech. it was about small business and taxes. (boring). healthcare and a plan (boring) education, our childrens future, no child left behind (boring)

sorry, the meat of politics is boring

we still have an obligation to learn

so he puts out a boring, people dont listen fr a mere 15, 20 minutes. and they tell me, kerry has no plan.

i listened, i heard it. again and again. yet continually ilistened to media say and repug say, kerry has no plan

i dont have to love kerry, like kerry, want anything from kerry. but when there is an obvious lie eing said about a person, lordy, i just feel a responsibility to speak up

and you telling me, that i am just not admitting a truth, that i know is not a truth, is just per repug.

the war is going well. if you dont htink so, you dont like soldiers, or america and you arent a christian

i argue...... and they say, you just dont want to see. bullshit
there is such a thing as fact. and the fact is, kerry in written words has always been clear. and easy to understand. if..... you actualy listen

[sendero]

112. Ok...

... I'm not even reading all of that. But I DID IN FACT watch ALL 3 DEBATES and several of the speeches.

I do NOT find Kerry either inspirational, charismatic or even concise. I dont' give a SHIT about Kerry's written word, 95% of American voters do not read that sort of material. VOTERS DON'T CARE ABOUT A POLITICIANS DETAILED PLAN BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE CHANCES OF IT GOING DOWN THAT WAY ARE VANISHINGLY SMALL. A candidate has a few minutes on TV to capture the interest of voters, using a broad brush, and Kerry is not any better than average in his ability to do it, and average won't cut it. Even Bush is better than average.

We just have a difference of opinion here, and I'll leave it at that.

[seabeyond]

114. well, all i heard from dems, media and repugs is kerry had no plan

so isnt that odd, that during the whole campaign i heard this being thrown at kerry, and everyone really didnt care

that is probably where the misstep was, go figure. kerry kept telling the plan, because everyone kept saying they wanted it..... and really.... they didnt want it at all and were what...... NOT listening. (which exactly validates what i have been "bitchin" about. a non truth you insist i buy into)

then you blame kerry

this is what i am talking about our inability to commit a minute or two, listen.

nah, dont bother reading what i wrote. but be sure to tell me how wrong i am

[sendero]

121. Look...

... I've NEVER SAID, IMPLIED or INTIMATED that Kerry "doesn't have a plan". I've said he sucks at making his plan clear to others.

[ProSense]

115. Average?

Average enough to get 59 million people to vote for him. It's clear enough to me from that he did an excellent job of getting his message out to people willing to listen.

[sendero]

122. There were 59 million people..

.... who we pissed enough at Bush to vote for Kerry. If he'd actually won people over, he would have WON DECISIVELY.

[seabeyond]

124. wow another repug/media talking point. right on n/t

[sendero]

126. Get real..

... and understand this. The mood against Bush was already well underway by the summer of 2004 and the fact that Kerry didn't TROUNCE him is testament to his failure to capture the imaginiation of the electorate.

Whether you like it or not.

[ProSense]

136. So now

Kerry's impressive 59 million votes, cast by as you said earlier, the anybody but Bush crowd, is a testament to Kerry's failure to capture the imagination of the people who voted for Bush?

Could it just be that some people are stupid and others were duped and the Bush campaign resorted to dirty tricks?

[sendero]

139. Who knows?

First of all, I never said EVERY vote cast for Kerry was an anti-Bush vote. But to deny that was a big factor is ludicrous. I'm not going to ignore the obvious truth just because the right wingnuts pick it up as a talking point.

[ProSense]

131. Never let up

with the stupid RW crap: oh they just hated Bush. I guess that's why the Bush team went out of their way to suppress the vote and the rest?

If Kerry had actually won people over, there would have been no need to use dirty tricks. What logic!

Could it be that more people would have voted (or did vote) for Kerry?

Could it be that the majority of those who voted for Kerry actually supported him?

[sendero]

132. Oh it is a near certaintly..

.... that Kerry won the election. He just wasn't man enough to claim it.

You want to talk shit you came to the right place.

[ProSense]

140. Did Kerry win

decisively?

[sendero]

141. No..

.... decisively, which he SHOULD have won against a shit like Bush, would have been too big to be Diebolded.

[ProSense]

148. How do you know that?

Do you have the result?

I thought the whole Diebold thing was vote switching. The final totals have Bush up by three million votes. You mean there would have been a limit to the vote switching if Kerry had performed better?

[sendero]

152. Oh boy..

... do I really want to go there?

I maintain and will always maintain that only a few percentage points of the vote can be practically stolen. The first time the theives bungle the job by making it obvious what happened, even if they are not caught red-handed and prosecuted, the game will be over.

If Kerry had won by 10% like he should have, Diebold would have to walk away.

[ProSense]

158. No you don't want to go there

because a percentage would have been a factor (x percent of Kerry's votes) not an absolute (x million).

[seabeyond]

119. yaq, because he says three word sentence over and over and over

didnt you hear bush in a sit down with people. propanganda use small sentences and say them over and over and over.

hence.... the over, three times.

this is who we want to be. wow

no thanks

[liveoaktx]

134. I think we're talking about 2 different things-I agree with you that

people shouldn't rely on sound bites but really listen to entire segments of speech, in context, to understand the entire argument. I hear you saying that people are too content to hear some little phrase that can't possibly exemplify a position, might be misleading, and over-simplify complex issues to a black and white statement. That's why we watch Cspan, or read articles of length.

But, instead of comparing Bush with Kerry, compare Kerry with Clinton. Or Kucinich. Or Sharpton. There are people who can talk a long time about an idea but are more effective at getting the meat of the idea across. Now, is personal charisma part of it? Maybe. I don't like Guiliani but I admired him on 9/11. I think Kerry has ideas and plans about things but I don't think he is very effective at how he presents his ideas.

And it doesn't have anything to do with *whether* he has a plan but *how* he presents it.

[seabeyond]

151. liveoak, we as a party, have to get past this

kerry is dry. ok so what. as adults we have to responsibly make choices and it might mean listening to dry. gore was a liar? not sure of himself. clinton a slut, he wouldnt have won if perot was not in the race. kucinich, ufo's baby. sharpton, well tons to go after him. hillary, to dlc. dean, he was exciting to the point. oops his downfall. clark, to inexperienced, he hesitated and stuttered like.

it does not matter who we present. they will be gone after at some point and that will be their arch heel. ?. i am saying, we have to defend our candidate instead of saying ya you are right he is boring, we presented a poor candidate, he should be more exciting and charsimatic. cause as soon as we get the next clinton that wont be good enough.

he are buying into repug talking points to the extent that they allow us to create our candidate in a negative lite. it is always our problem, our mistake. kerry was a kick ass person for president. bush is a poor example of providing us a candidate

when i hire,.... i do not hire someone to entertain me. i hire them to get a job done

that is how we dems need to start addressing this. when tweety say, people prefer to have a beer with bush, we need to get message out, i dont want a beer with president, i want him to do a job. bush has failed at every job. kerry has been successful in every job.

i guess this is why i keep coming to kerry's defense. if we dont get it as a party, we will learn our next candidate isnt perfect either. and we will apologize for him/her

[liveoaktx]

153. I defended Kerry when he was a candidate-he isn't any more

and I sincerely hope he won't be in 2008.

I also see the whole charisma versus intelligence argument to be much more complex due to the nature of television media (including how *news* is presented), don't think the Bush versus Kerry comparisons are valid at this point (it's no longer Bush versus Kerry-for whatever reason, Kerry is not the president, Bush is).

but beyond all this, I go back to my original point. The Daily Show is on Comedy Central, and it's a humour show. It's not on the same level as the "news" shows that really aren't-Stewart can lampoon whoever he wants, and I think it goes beyond the pale to skewer Stewart for not being more hands-off certain people.

[seabeyond]

155. i am not skewering stewart. so i guess we can agree here.

i will not stop watching stewart. he is funny, i like his show, i like him. not always, but same is true with most shows. i like him enough, he is one of the few times i turn on my tv

in this thread we got much more into talking kerry. my intent is not to say stewart bad. in anyway

[KharmaTrain]

133. You're Spot On...

I agree with your sentiments. People take this as either a personal shot at Kerry or that we're aping someone's talking points or pushing an agenda, but you sum it up very, very well.

Kerry's ambiguity is of his own making and still exists. He's not a "people person" and many confuse his deliberate and continuous introspection as weakness...I never have, but that's where I see the big confusion among Democrats. The man had been and will continue to be a great Senator, but as a leader, he's best relegated to a supporting role.

Peace...

[LizW]

97. Yes, yes, yes

Exactly! And what Stewart does is take that painful truth, and make it funny!

Good comedians know that what is funny is funny because there is underlying truth. Jon's running gag about Kerry is funny because in our hearts, we've thought the same thing. Jon just says it out loud.

[seabeyond]

103. he took a non turth and made it funny. he did not take a truth

he took a non truth that the repugs and media sold to the people. and the people bought it, the fools. and he made a non truth funny.

good point

[seabeyond]

98. i was suppose to go to bed. had cspan on and listened to kerry

i tried really really hard to find out where people can not understand what he is saying. he has even slowed his talking down, with the simplest of words, so people can hear. it is ridiculous. if a person doesnt say all the have to say in three words, they are fuckin ramblin.

stay the course
plan to victory

bush has got that right on people inability to understAND MORE THAN THREE WORDS

phone call,..... so i am done

[LittleClarkie]

167. There are "Hulk" days

I like it better when he gets angry.

[DistressedAmerican]

87. If You Can't Laugh At Yourself, I Laugh At You.

[Bread and Circus]

89. The problem I have with Jon is not mocking kerry/dems..

the problem I have is that he is very unfunny/unoriginal when he does it. His humor amounts to parroting "the common wisdom" and rnc/msm talking points. It seems disingenous and feels like pandering when I witness it.

I think Kerry and the Dems are fair game. I just wish Jon and his writers could come up with something new or at least be funny about it.

[skipos]

91. It's comedy. He is going to make fun of both sides. So what? nt

[RepublicanElephant]

92. so how do you feel about "the colbert report"? n/t

.

[lectrobyte]

95. I'm an it getter. I was laughing 'til it hurt when he started crying

about Randy Cunningham.

[meisje]

99. The truth hurts and many here can't seem to handle it

[mattclearing]

100. It's not total bullshit. Kerry is muddled, and I think everyone knows it.

That's why it's funny.

Kerry was great on the Today Show this morning though. He handed Matt Lauer his ass.

Too bad they had Mary Matalin on to spew RWTP's unchecked afterward.

[ProSense]

110. What! Kerry handed Matt Lauer his a**?

Never muddled. From what I saw and read, Kerry was on point yesterday in his rebuttal of Bush's speech.

[seabeyond]

111. the really messed up. after every kerry speech, debate i hear

how he kick ass. handed bush his ass. handed rice her ass. handed laur his ass.

for a while now

then i get, i dont understand him. he is too confusing. uses to many words. is boring, so boring.

i feel i am in pretend world

i listened to speech last night on cspan, too late. i wanted to be asleep. but had been on this thread talking with so many people that said he is muddled. i understood it every word kerry said. pretty simple. small words. he did use full sentences. so i only gotta assume if you use a full sentence, you have lost these people

[mattclearing]

123. He does say muddled things, but he usually does pretty well in debate.

It's his floor speeches that are often self-contradictory.

[YvonneCa]

165. Hi, tasteblind! If you haven't...

...seen John Kerry's Georgetown Speech, you may enjoy it. Go to C-SPAN's website and use the search option on the C-Span website. Enter Kerry and Iraq.

He set out HIS plan on for success in Iraq on October 26, 2005...and it's TOTALLY consistent with what he has been saying all along. No one will cover him. That's a crime.

Watch the Q and A, too...it's the best part. If you still think he's muddled or unclear after that speech, I'd be surprised. :)

[mattclearing]

172. One speech does not a career define. n/t

[YvonneCa]

174. True, but...

...the Q&A after this one might.:D

[Catchawave]

105. Kerry's response was boring

I think that's what Jon was trying to point out, Kerry just lacked that "fire in his belly" response, by the way he set up the clip.

I bet Barbara Boxer would have done better.

[seabeyond]

106. boring? boring, geez. does he need lites, a crowd of military

cadets behind him. music??????

he is a politician. not an entertainer. i would hope when it comes to the serious, we can be oh, lets say, adultlike. and sit and listen to what is proposed to fix things. this is like my 10 yr old in class saying the teacher is boring. i dont give a f*. she isnt there to entertain, she is there to teach you. it is your obligation to listen and learn. we each have a role

[Catchawave]

159. The message was boring and muddled,

..it wasn't meant as a personal attack on JK, he's a sweetie :)

Now the message that Barbara Boxer shot from the hip....passionate!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2284236

You know, we have alot of work to do 'tween now an '08, like what will get over 75 million apatheic voters off their lazy arses to go to the polls ?

[SheepyMcSheepster]

117. Jon Stewart is hurting America!

he needs to be stopped ASAP.

please go here: http://www.comedycentral.com/help/questionsCC.jhtml

Let comedy central know that you will not stand for this anti-american sleaze making jokes about serious things like politics!

Jon Skew-it Needs to be held accountable for his treasonous behaviour!

[kentuck]

118. Kerry would have made a great president.......

....but his communication skills are lacking. Too many years parsing words in the Senate, I think? If he needs to say "the cat is black", he ends up saying something like "the majority of people agree that the cat is black and there can be little doubt that is the color of the cat and those that say otherwise are doing a disservice to the cat and our country...."

[seabeyond]

120. well kentuck

i dont accept just a cat is black froom my children. i make them go further in thought, because i think that is healthiest for them, and later for society. so i dont htink i will promote

the cat is black
with us or against us
plan to victory
mission accomplished
stay the course

bullshit to me. i want my kids to be more so when a politician goes beyond the cat is black, they will have the ability to listen

[kentuck]

130. But the average American....

is a simple minded person. They are not really into complex thoughts. However, it is admirable that you are teaching your children how to think. That is better than "we must fight them there so we don't have to fight them here" bullshit.

[im10ashus]

125. Jon Stewart is not mainstream media.

It's a comedy show. People tune in to laugh.

That said, he was a little harsh on Kerry, but I am able to discern the difference between real news and comedy.

If we democrats can't take a bit of jabbing from what is most definitely a pro-democratic comedian, then what have we left?

How about spending time going after the real culprits of the media who are telling lies and half-truths? I think that would be more effective.

[4bucksagallon]

128. Yep fox news, clearchannel, right wing radio, sinclair....................

The list goes on and on.

[im10ashus]

129. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[mondo joe]

127. Kerry did a poor job. Stewart noted it.

Don't want to be mocked?

Put someone better out there.

[RunningFromCongress]

135. psst...it's a COMEDY SHOW he's not obligated to be serious AT ALL

get off Stewarts nuts already. He can mock anyone he feels like. Yeah I know it sucks that there's no outwardly "liberal" news channel show like the outwardly right wing shows that are on several cable networks. While I'm not sure why, COMEDY Central's Daily Show is NOT that show, and shouldn't have to be honest or even accurate. IT'S A MOCK NEWS SHOW. It's supposed to take the cheap shots and easy laughs.

And it's pretty sad that people would blast a show that does make fun of the right in a 9:1 ratio as it does the left.

Seriously, stop the whining and focus on comming up with DETAILED solutions to real issues. Not whos making fun of who.

[Giant Robot]

137. I remember Jon Stewart saying

when told once of the percentage of people that rely on him as a news source that, "my lead in show is puppets making fart jokes" or something to that effect. He is not here to be fair and balanced. He is not here to protect the left or right wings. He is there to tell jokes, and I thought last night was fairly funny. I did not see all of Kerry's speech, so I am assuming that the clip Jon played was cut all to heck and taken out of context. I get that. But the clip he played, to me, was difficult to follow. I always found him difficult to follow; a comparison here would be that Clinton was intelligent too, but he could connect with an audience and get his message across, not so with Kerry.

But all that seems to be neither here nor there to me. This is about Jon making fun of Kerry, for whatever reason. Well, he is not a news anchor. He's a comedian. If it wasn't funny to you, ok. If it was, great. Jon was doing his job, and I think when we become to rigid in our thinking, that will only lead us to worse places than we already are. And as one final thought, just because it is a media stereotype of Kerry, does not automatically make it wrong, but it also doesn't make it right either.

[wixomblues]

138. Sheeeesh.

I'm not so insecure that a comedy show making jokes about Kerry is going to upset me.

[ComerPerro]

142. Kerry is an easy person to mock

[Arkana]

146. Oh for f**k's sake.

Last week we were singing Stewart's praises to the moon--now we're bashing him because he dared suggest that Kerry looks kinda goofy and talks with a lot of nuance. I respect and admire the man, but I think I'm secure enough in my admiration to know that him being lampooned on a FAKE NEWS PROGRAM is not going to affect me. Damn, it's comedy. Take it for what it is.

[Marr]

147. Why the hell should I 'fight for' John Kerry?

The man who ran against Bush by saying he 'fight the Iraq war better', and who's promise to 'fight for me' lasted all of 20 minutes or so, even though the exit poll results suggested something fishy in the vote count?

[K-W]

149. Not this again.

A few weeks ago we wrote, "Jon Stewart seems to be suffering from an affliction that pervades mainstream reporting: the desire to appease both sides by being an equal opportunity critic.

Yes, you indeed wrote that. You provided absolutely no evidence whatsoever except that Stewert makes fun of both sides and has conservatives on his show. Something that is much more easily explained by taking Jon at his word that he is a comedian and isnt making political calculations in his show decisions.

The underlying logic behind the fair and balanced issue in the media is the media's supposed responsibility to present objective information. Jon Stewert is under no such obligation, he isnt trying to be objective he is trying to be funny, and to him that means making fun of everyone and having conservatives on his show. Deal with it.

Pre$$titutes are fond of wrapping up negative reports about Republicans by saying "Democrats aren't doing any better," or "Democrats don't seem to be capitalizing on Republican problems because they lack a message. That pretense to fairness would be cute if Democrats and Republicans shared power, but when the right has an iron grip on America, and when it's becoming crystal clear that the administration committed the gravest of sins by lying us into war, going after both sides is a cop-out..."

The Democrats dont get a free pass just because the Republicans are worse.

And what on earth does that have to do with Jon Stewert anyway? He is not a journalist or commentator, he is a comedian.

Needless to say, we got a very mixed reaction to the post, with some readers angrily attacking us for taking on a comedy show and telling us to stick to mainstream Pre$$titutes. But we consider Stewart an important influence on the political discourse and when he uses the worst kind of he said/she said techniques and when he repeats the same shop-worn media narratives about Bush and Democrats, we think he's fair game.

Of course he is fair game. He is a public figure. He is not however doing the things you accuse him of doing nor is he under the obligation to spread a progressive message.

On tonight's show (11/30), Stewart starts with a good piece about Murtha, Schmidt and Bush. But he ends the segment with a pointless slam against John Kerry.

The point was to generate a laugh because ITS A COMEDY SHOW. You are making it ever so obvious that you are parsing a comedy show as if it were a commentary show. The point of everything he says is to generate laughs. Nothing he says could possibly be pointless, he is an entertainer.

He takes Kerry's words completely out of context

I have some bad news for you, not only does the Daily Show take quotes out of context, it makes up quotes, it makes up facts, it dishonestly cuts up interviews, it presents phony reports from phony locations, it also does phony translations of non-english speaking news makers.

The Daily Show is quite possibly the worst, most dishonest, most inaccurate, misleading news show in the universe. If you look to it for accurate information about our current political situation you would be grossly misinformed on any number of issues including Democrats and Republicans.

But... the Daily Show isnt a news show. It isnt even a commentary show. It is a comedy show. If you are expecting accurate information from it, YOU are the one with the problem.

and does nothing more than regurgitate tired media storylines about Kerry being 'muddled.'

It's almost like Jon is interested in writing jokes and not interested in critically analyzing media content. Its like he's just a comedian or something.

It's total bullshit and Stewart should know better than to dilute his Bush piece by taking a cheap shot at Kerry.

Stewart was doing a comedy routine, not a commentary. He did not in fact dilute his Bush piece by taking a shot at Kerry, the audience laughed at all of it. Nothing was dilluted.

The only reason you would make this statement is if you were analyzing jokes as if they were political rhetoric.

Yes he took a cheap shot at Kerry, he is a comedian, he takes cheap shots at EVERYONE its his job.

[im10ashus]

156. Amen!

You have tactfully addressed this NON-issue quite eloquently. Cheers to you! :toast:

NOW can we move on to real issues?

[NoPasaran]

150. Oh for crying out loud!

Either get a sense of humor or lock your TV on CSPAN.

And frankly, if Kerry wasn't such a windbag it wouldn't be so easy to lampoon him as such.

[Catchawave]

160. Agree ! ~nt

[NYC Liberal]

162. Allow me to sum up a lot of people's arguments on this thread:

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He attacked Kerry! How dare he, a comedian, make jokes about our side! Now he's just repeating right-wing talking points for LAUGHS! Fuck him!"

I wish I could put a :sarcasm: but I'm not so sure it is...

Some of you really need to laugh at yourselves and Dems once and a while.

[Generator]

166. Post 149 pretty much covered it but

I don't like the cheap shots against Kerry or Boxer so lately I haven't had the stomach for the Daily Show even if he trashes mostly the Republicons and fundies and Bush 95% of the time. I'm very sensitive at the moment and not finding this mess we are in very funny at all. So I don't watch. That would be the solution for some.

I honestly don't know if Stewart is doing it for "balance" or because he honestly thinks it's just damn funny. There is stuff that the Dems do that is assine and funny and should be mocked. I have a sore spot about Kerry and I'm not even that much on Kerry's team anymore. It just seems like kicking the underdog who is more fit to be the winner than these other thugs. And that makes it not funny to me.

But what is truly sad is that Pressitutes has no one else in their corner in the media but a fake news show. Stewart can't be expected to do anything, really, he has no obligation at all. So I don't really agree with the premise but I understand why you've put him in the same league as the rest-HE'S THE ONLY REAL LIBERAL voice on TV. Besides what they "allow" Olbermann to show. His is the best hands down on cable or any news-except for NOW. And Bill Maher-who is a sexist pig but he does say stuff that no one else on TV does-but that's HBO-not TV as they like to say.

Stewart is all we have. That makes it worse. He would tell you to take a leap about "balance" or no balance. But the man was about in tears on election night 2004 and you can never fault him for want what we all wanted..not whatever this is I'm living through and losing my sense of wanting to laugh at those that are the losers-us.

[Lannes]

168. I believe he mocks Kerry because he is "mockable"

For lack of a better word.There are things about both sides of the aisle that are worthy of lampooning.More so on the right these days IMO but we shouldnt get upset when the left gets a few jokes lobbed their way.Its better than it being one sided and makes for better viewing.

[upi402]

169. remember when BJ's were the stuff of impeachment?

Lampooning Clinton was like a tape loop of self-righteousness.

[Lannes]

170. Clinton didnt deserve to be impeached

But when it came to jokes about what he did,the guy brought it on himself.Yes,there were those like limbaugh that piled on but I cant blame comedians for using it in their routines.

[0007]

171. In my opinion it was not Jon Stewart that made Kerry look

weak. John Kerry did it to himself with his double speak and redundancy of a point. It was just pointed out by Jon Stewart.

The main thing I have against Kerry, is that he refused to fight when the balance was in question.

I worked my tail off for Kerry in 04 and will never go back to that mentality. Kerry let a lot of folks down.

[tx_dem41]

173. Thanks for letting me know that Presstitutes knows nothing about ..

the media and its distinction from comedy/entertainment. As a result, why would I ever want to read anything else you have to say?

Saved me a lot of time from reading anymore silliness. Thanks.

[Fountain79]

175. You've got to be kidding me right?

It's a comedy/satire show. It makes jokes at the expense of politician. Are you honestly suggesting that all of Stewart's jokes should be directed towards Republicans/conservatives? I thought it was freepers who lacked the sense of humor.

[Bongo Prophet]

176. Sharp humor vs. cheap shot that furthers a character assault.

It is NOT that Jon Stewart is supposed to NEVER attack dems. A silly straw man argument.
It is NOT that comedians have to always be accurate or not. DS mixes fart jokes with political satire all the time. My PERSONAL sense of humor tends toward satire rather than poopie humor in general, and I tend to like thoughtful, compound sentences over PR pablum. Those are all arbitrary tastes.



Al Gore invented the internet HAHAHA

Howard Dean is a shouting crazy man HAHAHA

Wes Clark is not a real Dem HAHA

John Conyers had to have a meeting in the basement HAHAHA

Anybody that dislikes Bush is an extremist whacko HAHAHA

If you disagree with Bush you hate America HAHAHA.

Aren't all of those hilarious?


I think the irritation centers on bolstering (even if arguably partially true) stereotypes that diminishes the fighting power of our side. To lift Murtha up, or McCain,-- especially when Kerry has said and done what they each got praise for, weeks or months ahead of them -- is irritating to me. To cut up a perfectly valid statement to reinforce a hack joke "I can't understand you!" is absurd. Of course Jon could understand him. But he had to go there, instead of any number of valid points that could be made in a funny way. I was just a cheap and easy shot. On to the next joke.

I guess there are people with a fear of compound sentences in our Democracy of Dunces.
Get over it HAH!
We are stoopid HAHA
People die because of our idiocies. So. Damn. Funny.

[Mutley]

177. I might agree, except for one thing

Stewart has never once claimed to be a real news source. He has made it abundantly clear that his show is a fake news show designed to make people laugh.

That being said, there are a lot of people who dislike John Kerry. That alone is not a litmus test for being a right wing media whore.

[Mr_Spock]

178. So what?

Are we beyond being poked fun of in a political way?

I'm not, but I'm sure some folks here can't take ANY criticism.

Shame on you (not you O/P, the one's who attack anything that doesn't tow the line our way).