[$tinkle]

a conservative - rusty shackleton - at townhall.com thinks so:

Forget left of center bloggers, Jon Stewart is this year’s kingmaker. Without him and The Daily Show, the Democrats would not have made such large inroads in the midterm elections. Let me explain why.

In 1994 Republicans swept to victory by gaining 54 seats in the House and 8 seats in the Senate that were previously held by Democrats. While many factors explain the Republican victory--a unified theme around the Contract With America, discontent over the more liberal policies of the early Clinton Administration, corruption in the Democratic leadership, etc--Republicans in the House were quick to name Rush Limbaugh the Republican majority Kingmaker.

[On Tuesday, Democrats scored] a big win.

But why? A number of reasons, of course. Discontent with the war in Iraq, corruption among Republicans in Congress, an energized Democratic base, and demoralized conservatives all help explain what happened.

But one phenomenon has been overlooked. One which I believe was a key if not the key to a Democratic victory. That is the phenomenon of faux news. And Jon Stewart is its banner bearer.

Jon Stewart is an unlikely player in national politics. He's not a pundit, he's a comedian. As unlikely a candidate for Democratic kingmaker as he may be, he's a force to be reckoned with.

Ratings for The Daily Show's coverage of the '06 elections were second only to The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. 2.0 million Americans tuned into Comedy Central on Tuesday to follow election results. That's right, more people were watching a comedian talk about the news than an anchor on CNN.

And just who is it that is tuning into The Daily Show? Young people. Lot's of them.

In fact, in the 2004 election nearly as many young people cited The Daily Show as a source of news as any other source. And Jon Stewart's Daily Show audience has only grown since then.

On the college campus where I teach, Jon Stewart's is the first and last word on all things political. His is the only name that all recognize. It’s more than that: his views are the only views considered socially acceptable. When Jon Stewart believes something, students believe it. He who Jon Stewart hates, students hate.

John Stewart is the Rush Limbaugh, and faux news the talk radio of 2006.

Students talk about what happened on The Daily Show. They do not talk about what happened on Crossfire. They relate to one another by it. It is a shared experience. It is something the most politically aware have in common.

related to this, and the texting vernacular being allowed in NZ exams, i'd say this generation is collectively fricked

 

[Changleen]

Fricked?

 

[$tinkle]

Fricked?

as in: "has the texture of carrion"

 

[Silver]

Look, another stupid townhall.com column. That's about as common as turds in a Tijuana donkey show bathroom. Not that I'd know about that...

http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/28/comedy.politics/

"Daily Show" viewers are 78 percent more likely than the average adult to have four or more years of college education, while O'Reilly's audience is only 24 percent more likely to have that much schooling.

Plus, the network noted, "Daily Show" viewers are 26 percent more likely to have a household income more than $100,000, while O'Reilly's audience is only 11 percent more likely to make that much money.

I especially love the way he calls it faux news. It would take an idiot to not recognize blatant satire for what it is. Of course, if you think Bush is a decent president, then maybe that's par for the course.

 

[SPINTECK]

there's a quote i'm going to butcher, but it goes something like this:

news casters hide the truth with lies and comedians tell lies to reveal it (the truth).

Eventually people find the truth or their version of the truth and usually only time will tell.

 

[jaydee]

I think you guys could use a good comedian for a president. I mean one that is intentionally a comedian.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

I especially love the way he calls it faux news. It would take an idiot to not recognize blatant satire for what it is. Of course, if you think Bush is a decent president, then maybe that's par for the course.

Yeah, and he probably thinks O'Lielly is real news.

 

[MMike]

Serioulsy. It's not like the Daily Show is INVENTING anything. They've got the easiest job in the world right now. Just broadcast what's going on and then mug to the camera. The material is written for them!

 

[BurlyShirley]

Serioulsy. It's not like the Daily Show is INVENTING anything. They've got the easiest job in the world right now. Just broadcast what's going on and then mug to the camera. The material is written for them!

I would add that the bastardizing of the news done here in PAWN is far superior to what Stewart and his writers bring to the table.

 

[rockwool]

I think you guys could use a good comedian for a president. I mean one that is intentionally a comedian.

 

[sanjuro]

In the same way that Rush Limbaugh was a voice for Republicans in the 90's, I believe Jon Stewart is the same for demos.

Of course, I don't think Stewart is a pill-popping, fat bastard though...

 

[stevew]

In the same way that Rush Limbaugh was a voice for Republicans in the 90's, I believe Jon Stewart is the same for demos.

Of course, I don't think Stewart is a pill-popping, fat bastard though...

The one thing they have in common is they aren't that funny.

 

[sanjuro]

The one thing they have in common is they aren't that funny.

One thing they don't in have in common is the ability to debate on equal ground. The obvious mention is Stewart's Crossfire visit, but I saw him tear apart Bernard Goldberg, who wrote "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America".

Stewart made Goldberg look like the big blowhard who thinks he is a society judge without being nasty. I was really impressed.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Eventually people find the truth or their version of the truth and usually only time will tell.

Thank you John Madden.....

 

[$tinkle]

Look, another stupid townhall.com column.

maybe Editor & Publisher is more your stylee:

Bush and Rove Blew the Election on Purpose?

 

[kidwoo]

maybe Editor & Publisher is more your stylee:

Bush and Rove Blew the Election on Purpose?

Oh yeah.


Much better.