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If you asked me to name a symptom of what is wrong with political discourse in America, I would immediately name the fact that so much political debate seems to be run by comedians.
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert lead the pack for liberals, while Dennis Miller ably represents the Republican point of view. And then there are Bill Maher and David Letterman, two capable comics whose depth of conviction is inversely proportional to their understanding of the issues.
They may not know very much, but they are convinced that they are right about everything.
Evidently, comedians like Jon Stewart and Dennis Miller are in a class of their own, because, they possess a superior intelligence and an extraordinary ability to present issues in high concept.
Anyway, this by way of an introduction to Jon Stewart's critique of Obama and Congressional Democrats, broadcast under the rubric, Indecision 2010. Link here.
It is an amazing piece of comedy, and not just because it is coming from a stalwart Obama supporter.
Its more probative and thought-provoking value lies in the ease with which Stewart can ridicule Obama himself, his administration, and the Democrats who are running away from him as fast as they can.
Ridicule is powerful rhetorical medicine. Witness the attacks on Christine O'Donnell. But it is also a double-edged sword. If you use it too much, you might well find that it can turn against you.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
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2 comments:
a debate between Stewart and Miller would be a delight ...
We would all like to see it, not least because they seem to respect each other.
The other night Stewart was heard to express very high praise for Miller.
Today, I bet he would rather debate Miller than his political soul mate, Rick Sanchez
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