Draft Jon Stewart for public office

[Cosmic Kitten]

There needs to be campaign to *draft* Jon.

He would make an excellent public servant.
He's smart, brave, honest, and speaks truth to power.
He is EXACTLY the type of person the Democrats
so desperately need.

Not sure if he lives in NY or NJ but maybe
he could take Christie's job!?!

[RoverSuswade]

1. i would like to see Jon go to CBS

and launch a second "CBS Evening News" immediately following the 6:30 "News." It would be uncensored where Jon tells the truth about republicans. He would destroy them..
.
A pipe dream for sure, but.......what a concept.

[Cosmic Kitten]

8. The producers and editors would kibosh any real reporting

[dembotoz]

2. js 2016 as opposed to the hillary???? ok i would be good with that

not to bash clinton but damn
i sometimes wish the dems had a clown car bunch of candidates.

[Cosmic Kitten]

7. No, not for president.

Just Governor or Congress ;~)

[brooklynite]

3. Point to any managerial/policy development experience he has

Being a public official involves more than saying things the voters like.

[Cosmic Kitten]

6. Seriously?

You want to make the case that ONLY someone
who has "managerial/policy development experience"
can or should hold public office? Really?

That seems kinda *unAmerican*

[brooklynite]

13. Anyone "can" hold office; I'm not inclined to cheerlead for people who's only skill is public speech

[Cosmic Kitten]

15. How do you know what anyone's "skills" are?

Are you aware this is the *media age*, right?
You have noticed how politics plays right?
You do realize members of Congress have "helpers"
also known as "advisers" also known as "experts"


Jon Stewart would mop the floor of ANY republican candidate.

And that would scare the crap out of the repubs or the 3rd-Way.

[jwirr]

21. Some here need to remember what Al Frankin was a good comedian before he bacame an

excellent Senator. It is not what you did before so much as it is that you are willing to educate yourself. Both of these men do that.

[Cosmic Kitten]

24. +1

IMO Franken is a better Senator

[KamaAina]

32. To be fair, Sen. Franken was a government major.

And there's this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Franken#Post-SNL

In 2003, Franken served as a Fellow with Harvard's Kennedy School of Government at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy.

[jwirr]

60. Yes, that could make a lot of difference.

[Fla Dem]

66. Plenty of people have been elected to public office that have no manergerial/policy development

experience. He clearly has a hand at managing and directing the Daily Show for the past 16 years, and this past summer produced and directed a full length movie. Nowadays anyway, Senators and Congress critters have whole staffs devoted to managing and writing policy.

[monmouth4]

4. Would he take the pay cut?...n/t

[Cosmic Kitten]

9. He self-identifies as leaning socialist or independent

Don't think he'd be in it for the money...
maybe a better country for his children?

[ksoze]

5. Jon is a comic playing a role written for him

Who seems like a nice guy whose comic viewpoints are appealing, but his 80 minutes a week are written by a huge staff of writers. His ability to play a role on TV would not necessarily represent his ability nor desire to serve as a public servant. While his views and persona which are part of his role is appealing, the fact is he is playing a role as a comic (which he admits). His ability to use his show to take action (ex. 911 responders) shows he does care but also shows the power of his pedestal as a celebrity on a top watched show. He will be sorely missed on the show and we can only hope that void can be filled for someone to present the irony and insanity that is the news with the skill Jon did.

[Cosmic Kitten]

10. Have you ever seen him being interviewed?

He's not always playing a role!

[randome]

11. He thinks he's old. He wants to retire, I think.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Birds are territorial creatures.
The lyrics to the songbird's melodious trill go something like this:
"Stay out of my territory or I'll PECK YOUR GODDAMNED EYES OUT!"[/center][/font][hr]

[Cosmic Kitten]

12. seem like a lot of people here...

think they know what other people want?

Hillary IS OLD.
She want's to retire, I think!
Some people just won't let her be a grandmother.
They keep dragging her back in.

[brooklynite]

14. I see: Hillary really DOESN'T want to run...but the same doesn't apply to Elizabeth Warren

[Cosmic Kitten]

16. Is that what you think?

[brooklynite]

18. No, but I'm not one of the people denying that Warren has been clear she doesn't want to run

[Cosmic Kitten]

22. Are those her exact words?

Here are some of Hillary's words from 2011:

“I’m very privileged to have had the opportunity to serve my country,” Clinton said. “I’m really old-fashioned. I feel I have made my contribution. I have done the best I can. But now I want to try some other things. I want to get back to writing and maybe some teaching, working on women and girls around the world.”

People will have to “watch and wait” to see what she will do next, Clinton said. “I have made my contribution. I’m very grateful I have had the chance to serve, but I think it’s time for others to step up.
”http://articles.latimes.com/2011/oct/17/news/la-pn-hillary-clinton-future-20111017

That reads very much like someone who
"doesn't want to run"

[brooklynite]

25. 3 years ago...

...and her actions (such as hiring staff) indicate that she IS thinking of running, as opposed to Elizabeth Warren who is....working in her Senate office.

[Cosmic Kitten]

26. So Hillary doesn't keep her word?

Last edited Wed Feb 11, 2015, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Hillary comes off as a bit hypocritical here.

She's "old fashioned" and wants "others to step up"...
but IT'S HER TURN...SHES INEVITABLE

[brooklynite]

29. I'm happy to admit that Hillary Clinton is a "politician"...

...I was informed by folks here that Elizabeth Warren was something better. Are you saying her words are disingenuous?

And as for "it's her turn"...please direct me to any DU post stating that position. Since everything's searchable, you'll have no problem.

btw - I've seen both Clinton and Warren speak, up close and personal, in the past few months. One of them is definitely running. One of them is definitely not.

[Cosmic Kitten]

39. Define your use of "politician"...

in the context of Hillary Clinton.

[jwirr]

17. Has he made a statement regarding why he is quiting the Daily Show?

[Cosmic Kitten]

19. I'm unaware of any statements?

He just seems to be the "new blood"
the Democratic Party desperately needs.

Someone like Jon could do quite a bit
to rejuvenate the party.
How could he not attract new voters...millennials?

[CrawlingChaos]

20. The so-called Rally to Restore Sanity was an appalling

His interview with Rachel Maddow afterward... true colors were revealed, IMO. I've disliked him ever since.

And as someone pointed out above, much of what people admire about Jon Stewart has been scripted for him by a team of writers. I remember the Daily Show during the days of the writers strike and Jon Stewart, floundering on his own, had absolutely nuthin'.

So I would say be careful what you wish for.

[Cosmic Kitten]

23. Well, that's one opinion.

Between Chris Christy and Jon Stewart for Govenor?
You like Christy better?

Edited to add youtube

[bravenak]

27. Like this?

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[Cosmic Kitten]

28. Nice ;~)

Was thinking more like Governor or Congress?
But hey, dream the big Dream!

[bravenak]

33. Governor? I got that too.

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[Cosmic Kitten]

42. Needs work on division of space and font selection ;~)

[bravenak]

43. I know.

it was a quickie!

[Cosmic Kitten]

44. Good enough for a quick chuckle ;~)

[bravenak]

45. The font IS terrible.

[Cosmic Kitten]

46. Futura Bold!

[cherokeeprogressive]

49. How about Jon Stewart for Mayer? City Counsil? Senater? Congriss?

LOL it sucks when you work on something, finish it, and then realize a minor detail isn't right.

It's a good picture though.

[bravenak]

51. Haaa!!!

So funny.

[KamaAina]

30. He's from NJ originally

and, if memory serves, owns property in Red Bank, "down the shore" near Mom and Republican Stepdad's weekend place.

But take a gander at this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stewart#Writers_Guild_of_America_strike_of_2007.E2.80.932008

Stewart's choice to return to the air and undermine the writers of his show did bring inside criticism from others at the time. Seth MacFarlane wrote an inside joke into an episode of Family Guy about this, causing Stewart to respond with an hour-long call in which he questioned how MacFarlane could consider himself the "moral arbiter" of Hollywood. Other former writers of The Daily Show such as David Feldman have also indicated that Stewart was anti-union at the time and punished his writers for their decision to unionize.

[Cosmic Kitten]

38. That's what Wiki says.

Two paragraphs and one disgruntled coworker
on Wikipedia shouldn't disqualify a candidate.
That would be a *purity test*.

I'm confident that there are exactly ZERO candidates
who haven't stepped on some toes.

[KamaAina]

40. After the show ends, he could easily move back to NJ.

If he has a notion to go for it.

[Cosmic Kitten]

41. It appears he has property in both NY and NJ

[KamaAina]

31. Maybe he could be Elizabeth Warren's not-running mate.

[FSogol]

34. The two of them could "not run" together!

[Cosmic Kitten]

37. How cool would it be if we had "Peoples' Choice" candidates!?!

Enough of the "establishment" handing down
who your choice will be... coke or pepsi, red or blue.

How great would it be if the public
actually picked their candidates.

[FSogol]

61. We do. It is called the primary process*. Go to your local Democratic Party HQ and check it out.

* Except for a few States that have caucuses.

[Cosmic Kitten]

62. That is a VERY generous description of the "primary process"

You get the choice of what's being served.

Because... there is a huge and expensive
political machine that ACTUALLY determines
who is on the voting ballot. NOT the public.

[FSogol]

67. I can tell you have never been to your local Democratic party meetings.

Follow my advice, get involved in local party politics.

[Cosmic Kitten]

68. Big assumption

The "clique" gets what it wants.
IT usually wants what it's told to want,
or what it thinks will please the power brokers.

Same old, same old

[FSogol]

69. Platitudes never change anything. Get involved. n/t

[Cosmic Kitten]

70. Again you are assuming

Doesn't matter what the forum...
home owner association, school board,
local Democrats etc

the obstacles are always the same...
same kind of people who resist change.

What is your advise, specifically, to dislodge
or soften the resistance to change?

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

35. better: he should moderate every debate

Period

[Cosmic Kitten]

36. Meh... He's ready to get in the game

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

48. Did he actually say that? "I'm ready."

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

55. sounds like he's ready to make more movies

But he'd be a hell of a moderator. Great way to draw a younger crowd. It's brilliant actually.

[seveneyes]

47. Welcome to the Nightmare

[cherokeeprogressive]

50. Does his staff of writers come with him? Because if they don't some people are going to be

disappointed in the Jon Stewart they thought they knew.

[Cosmic Kitten]

54. Doesn't that happen with EVERY elected representative?

Most people are disappointed in
the "candidate" they thought they knew.

It's called voters remorse sometimes.
Or reneging on campaign promises?
Or just saying what voters want to hear?

It's always the lesser of two evils, right?

[onenote]

52. Not a chance

First, there is absolutely no reason to think Stewart has any interest in running for office.
Second, you can't "draft" someone to run if he or she isn't interested.
Third, the Daily Show's audience was, at best, around 2 million. Nationwide.

[Cosmic Kitten]

53. That's crushing to hear :~(

I guess it's wishful thinking that someone
with public appeal, intelligence, honesty,
and a well articulated concern for their country
couldn't be encouraged (*drafted*) to take
a chance to make a difference in the world.

A guess we just have to take the greedy self-serving
opportunists we are force fed, and be happy?

The lesser of two evils is the best this country can expect.

[brooklynite]

57. Okay folks...name a position of John Stewart that you support...

...based on a position you actually know he holds.

[Cosmic Kitten]

58. The red state blue state divide is BS

He has stated that the artificial divide
within the public, based on partisan lines,
is artificial and maintained by a complicit media.

That the American public has more in common
with one another than differences.

[brooklynite]

59. Which means what?

You agree with his tax and spending policies?

His approach to foreign policy?

Energy? The environment?

Investment in infrastructure?

[NCTraveler]

63. If he believes he would make an excellent public servant he needs to sell us on it.

No one knows if he would make "an excellent public servant" or not.

[Cosmic Kitten]

64. Right! Look how excellent all those right-wingers turned out to be.

The point is pretty simple here.

Maybe the Democratic Party needs to stop accepting
the hand picked candidates of the establishment,
and start picking candidates from the grassroots level?

It's hard to imagine that we would do worse at picking
candidates than the Koch brothers, or the 3rd-Way.

[NCTraveler]

65. This is a far cry from "excellent public servant."

"It's hard to imagine that we would do worse at picking
candidates than the Koch brothers, or the 3rd-Way."

Really didn't address my short and clear post in anyway either. I would be excited if he threw his hat in the ring. I just don't get how one would come to the conclusion he would be an "excellent public servant." After your reply seems you completely get that so I'm not sure where the rest comes from. I think some have been left so far out in the dark that they are willing to make claims that have no base in reality and grasping at straws. Not a good feeling all the way around.

[yuiyoshida]

71. I seriously don't

Think he would want to run for any government office.