leno (R)= good / letterman (D)= bad

[rusty charly]

Ten years into the deeply personal competition for supremacy in late-night television, NBC has decided the time is finally right to send CBS and its star, David Letterman, a pointed and very public message:

"There is no more late-night war," said Jeff Zucker, president of NBC Entertainment, echoing a claim he first made in the summer that NBC's "Tonight" show had definitively vanquished CBS's "Late Show."




http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/business/media/03dave.html

[Dogmudgeon]

1. Nerts to Zucker

The only reason Leno has so many viewers is that after 11:30 at night, we night owls are too damn lazy to turn the channel. We click on NBC and keep it there -- until Conan O'Brien is on.

Conan rulez.

Want more evidence? Leno means "Pimp" in Latin.

--bkl
Nomen Leno Veritor Est

[Atman]

2. Who would you rather be?

This quote from the article sums it up completely...

""Jay runs the 'Tonight' show like a political campaign," Mr. Burnett added. "If he thinks something will attract more viewers, he'll do it. Jay sees that Arnold Schwarzenegger is hot, so he introduces Arnold at a political rally. He sees that wrestling is hot, so he wrestles for the W.W.F. Maybe Jay earned himself a few more viewers for doing those things, but you have to ask yourself: Who would you rather be? Jay or Dave?"

If Dave went off the air, nothing could make me watch Jay Leno. He is entirely un-original, he makes me cringe far more than laugh, and he is uncritical in his view of anything the Wal Mart Nation holds dear. IOW, he's just another mouthpiece for the right-wing dumbing down of America.

[johnlal]

3. Are you sure Dave's a Democrat?

I thought that Dave has been very careful to remain politically neutral. I wouldn't cast him as a Democrat. He has simply done his job-- finding humor in politics. (With this administration, it's like shooting fish in a barrel). As I remember, Dave shot a few zingers at Clinton. Maybe you have seen something I haven't, but I thought that Dave has kept his politics private.

[hlthe2b]

4. I'd find it impossible to believe Dave is anything other

than DEM or INDEPENDENT. Yes, he zings everyone-- he's a comedian. But there is an incredible sense of satisfaction that comes over his face when he exposes Bush or the wingnuts in their stupidity or hypocracy...

[HootieMcBoob]

7. I remember a few years back when Dave had Rush Limbaugh

on his show. I believe it was the only time he was ever on the show. Dave said to him something like "do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and say to yourself, I am just full of hot air?" Rush didn't know what to say and the audience loved it. One of the most priceless moments in TV history :)

[johnlal]

10. Dave against "Dumb Guys"

One running gag throughout Letterman's show is the "Dumb Guy". I think Letterman's attacks on Bush are in the same vein.

[Festivito]

5. Dave no longer has a local news to follow, thanks to FOX - Detroit.

CBS used to be channel 2, now bought by FOX. CBS then bought channel 62 which still offers poor reception and I live in Detroit with a monster antenna that gives me access to Toledo, Flint, Lansing, and even a French speaking Canadian Quebec station. Yet 62, CBS and Dave, remain problematic.

FOX bought stations all over the country a couple years ago. Dave could be losing viewers because of FOX, not his content. FOX and possibly signal interuption.

[OneBlueSky]

6. Dave's problem is that . . .

he takes stupid shit and runs it into the ground . . . I mean, how often can you take "Is this something?", or "Will it float?" and still call it cutting edge humor? . . . not to mention the hula hoop girl and the grinder lady . . . c'mon, Dave . . . get some new schtick! . . .

[Lefty48197]

8. Bring back the velcro suit!

It was a riot.

[david_vincent]

9. Don't wanna start some kind of war here...

but Leno is NOT a Republican. It could be that they're both Democrats - I just don't know about Letterman; he's been pretty good at keeping his preference under his hat - but it's crystal clear to me that Leno wouldn't vote Republican for anything. You might not like his show, you may think his humor sucks, but he's no Republican.
My personal preference is for Leno. Letterman hasn't been funny in a long, long time i.e. since his morning show.

[name not needed]

11. only good thing about leno

is the * impersonator on the show.