Actually, I think this has less to do with desperately trying to escape the Hillary Trap and more to do with aping Donald Trump:
Wait, before you dismiss this idea quickly, keep in mind that Senator Al Franken, D-MN, famously got his start as a comedic performer on Saturday Night Live.
He also was running in the biggest Democrat wave year since 1964 and still had to steal his election after the fact via endless "recounts". And in Minnesota, the same bunch that elected a professional wrestler as its governor only a decade before that. And what has Senator Smalley done in his six and a half years in the upper chamber besides sneer a lot and vote as the hive mind commanded him?
And there’s of course Ronald Reagan, who had a career as a B-level actor before becoming president.
And then there's his years as president of the Screen Actors Guild, his two terms as Governor of the largest, (at the time) richest State in the country and the two presidential runs that preceded his ultimate 1980 triumph. But Dean Obeidallah had a BS point to make.
If Stewart became president, his press conferences and presidential addresses would be the most entertaining ever. Instead of mimicking past presidents who offered us solemn, direct to camera speeches, Stewart would add flashy graphics and jokes that help him make his point. I bet some of President Stewart’s speeches would go viral....
And that, apparently, is now the president's job description: "Entertaining the public". Not leadership, not preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitution of the United States, not faithfully executing the laws passed in accordance with it, not seriously representing the nation overseas. Doing the Daily Show on permanent location from the Oval Office for (at least) four years.
The more I seriously contemplated a Stewart candidacy and reflected upon his body of work, the more I realized that he truly would make a great president. There’s no doubt Stewart understands the nuances of the issues facing our nation; after all, he has been discussing them nightly for over sixteen years…
I've been discussing them for thirty-five years. And I'm actually right about them. Doesn't mean I'd be qualified to serve as president.
Former Obama adviser Eric Lesser told Politico this week about Stewart, “I’d be hard-pressed to think of a person who spoke with the same amount of authority to that big of a group of people.”
Authority? He's a f***ing comedian. His job is to make his audience laugh and "hiply" smirk. Sure, the Gipper used humor in his "great communicating," but when he gave his famous address at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, he didn't say, "Mr. Gorbachev, pull down your pants!"
Stewart also would have many things going for him if he ran. He has very high name recognition and is viewed as trustworthy. Not only did a 2009 Time online poll name him the “most trusted newscaster in America,”....
Even though he isn't a newscaster, he's a f***ing comedian.
....but a recent poll also named Stewart the top political pundit in America, far outdistancing people like Rush Limbaugh. And 48% of the respondents to this recent poll stated they admired Stewart, with over 50% noting they agreed with Stewart on at least some issues. (Only 12% never agreed with Stewart.)
In other words, Jon Stewart is the Democrats' answer to Donald Trump. Think about it: "outsider," "not a 'professional politican'," "fearlessly says what people are thinking," etc. The American public doesn't want statemen anymore, they want the guy who can shout the loudest to piss in the faces of the opposition. And vice versa. One more horrible legacy of electing "the biggest celebrity in the world" over six and a half years ago.
Thing is, I think that Trump and Stewart would get along swimmingly. Like two peas in a pod. Especially given that they don't actually disagree on much.
At least Jon Stewart is transparent about it.
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