Uber-Liberal Feeds Needs with Humor

Whenever I watch Jon Stewart's and Stephen Colbert's cable-tv shows, I am struck by how dead-on they are in their political commentaries. I am also struck by how sad it is that the best place to get in-depth reasonable political information is on Comedy Central. Apparently the major networks feel the need to issue information in tweets (short, ill-researched knee-jerk blurbs) and the so-called 24-hour "news" stations prefer inflammatory rhetoric repeated ad nauseum, encased by myriad unreadable ticker tape banners. (PBS is the only serious provider of truly fair news coverage with the Lehrer report.)

I am an uber-liberal, but I really appreciate hearing the stimulating discussions that often occur on Stewart's program when he has a guest with decidedly different views than mine. Intelligent conservatives have a chance to discuss their beliefs with Jon Stewart, who has a better grasp of issues and deeper knowledge of their history than most political commentators. He has often caught guests off-guard with his ability to use facts to refute statements thrown out at him. The conversations are lively, sometimes combative, but never defamatory. The respect for the person is always obvious. Rarely have I heard slanderous put-downs from Stewart or a guest (though sometimes witticisms carry stinging barbs). And when time has necessitated editing a heated conversation, the show provides the complete interview online.

Stewart keeps himself grounded; he is on an entertainment channel doing a comedy show, but much like David Frost's marvelous "That Was The Week That Was," Jon Stewart's program has the ability to use humor to cut through the political detritus.

I watch Obermann and Maddow at times on MSNBC, but they can obsess on topics, and Chris Matthews, bless his liberal little heart, gets too excited with his own voice and won't shut up to let his guests speak. These three are certainly more intelligent, intellectual, and informative than their conservative counterparts (Hannity, Beck, and Limbaugh), but histrionics or cuteness sometimes take over their programs. A little bit goes a long way, and I have to switch to the Food Network, the Discovery Channel, or HGTV for escapist entertainment and relief from bombastic personalities. Thank heavens for Iron Chef America.

And so, four nights a week I watch Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert from 11 PM to midnight to feed my need for honest political commentary. My daily newspaper keeps me in the loop and provides me with enough information to form many of my political opinions. Comedy Central gives me programs to challenge or strengthen my opinions. Ironic, isn't it?