In regards John Stewart and Bill Maher

[liberalpress]

I find it kind of amusing that Stewart and Maher have become "darlings" of the left. It's even more amusing with Maher. He is an admitted Libertarian. Most Libertarians I know are closer in political structure to Conservatives than Liberals.

Stewart is a comedian. His job is to comment on political figures in a mock news show. Most here on the board would be surprised to know he would be just as hard on Democrat in that position as he is in Bush.

The only ones who appointed these two as spokespeople for a cause is us. When will we admit we might have assigned them more credibility than they sought?

[vi5]

1. I agree about Maher, but not so much on Stewart...

..I agree we shouldn't expect Stewart to be the savior of the news media. But he hosts a comedy show and does a damn good job of it. And he's pretty much blatantly on record as being a liberal leaning dem (if not a radical leftie). Of course he points out the folly that sometimes occurs on the left because 1)That's his job, and 2)Sometimes the left CAN be just as much a source of comedy.

But if your point is that too many people are looking to him (and Maher as the saviors of speaking liberal truth to power, then yeah I would agree.

But I would disagree in that I think Stewart IS more or less a liberal and that Maher has just as many conservative positions as he does liberal ones.

[liberalpress]

6. My point is simply..

...these people are entrtainers. To ascribe to them something different than the desire of just providing a good show is I believe in error.

[vi5]

8. Then I totally agree (n/T)

[Bridget Burke]

2. I've never cared for Maher.

And Jon Stewart does criticize Democrats. He's more savage about the Republicans, but starting illegal wars, wrecking the economy & allowing your country to be attacked is a bit different from messing around with a young cutie.

Nobody has appointed them as spokespeople.

[confludemocrat]

3. Stopped watching Maher, will stop watching Stewart (and crew remember)

He lost me with the first show of the season where he and his panel of wealthy white males lauded Bush for his "establishment of democracy" in Iraq.

[DS1]

4. I watch Maher now and then, and zone out minutes after the

monologue because the discussions are so absolutely pointless.

[eallen]

5. Many libertarians are now looking to the Democrats.

Don't underestimate the fundamental change that Bush and Rove have wrought in the US political landscape. They have morphed the GOP into a big-government party that is both fiscally profligate and visciously opposed to civil liberties. This is the mirror image of libertarianism, which if it means anything at all, defends civil liberties and opposes government largesse. In the new landscape, the Democrats becomes the major party that stands for fiscal restraint, and that supports civil liberties.

This change in landscape is also doing interesting things to libertarian groups. Those who truly believe in liberty are realizing that any ties to the GOP undermine that interest. Others are being exposed as corporatists, theocrats, and neocons whose only interest in liberty was the rhetoric.

[Last Lemming]

7. Do you mean that the current state of the news industry

has driven us to comedians for some truth?

[rockedthevoteinMA]

10. I agree with that Last Lemming.

Though I watched SNL's weekend update Saturday, and found myself depressed, because it was such a downer... Like the skits were funny, but the fact that it was all real just totally dwarfed the humor.

And Bill Maher: he's offensive, but that's his thing. I watched him a lot last year, but this year I haven't seen his show once. I think his show this week is "the conservative show?" :shrug:

Jon Stewart though, I really enjoy his show. He cracks me up. I think he does a great job. Better than any network by far.

[PST]

9. Maher may not be a 'true Democrat'

but at at least he stands up against the clowns that are running the country. I saw his show in Carnegie Hall back in December and make no mistake: it was one big rant against bush and the other cowards!! He 'did a Dennis Miller' someone wrote here, that's just fucking nonsense.

so what did he actualy say that pissed everyone off?? He said he was happy when he saw all those people in Iraq get out and vote. and then he said that he still didn't agree with the reasons to go to war and that this war had been fought as badly as it could have been, in other words: Bush screwed up in every posssible way.

I like Bill Maher, maybe I don't agree with him 100% on all topics, but to say he 'did a Dennis Miller' is just pathetic..

[tom_paine]

11. Maher I agree with, not nearly so regarding Stewart

I was sort of forced to watch Bill Maher yesterday and their odious kissing of Bush's ass and his complete and utter acceptance of Today's Pravda (that all the lies were merely this ingenious runup so they could spread democrtacy in the ME, which is laughable because NO democracy can emanate from a Totalitarian Nation, even a kinder and gentler one, than Imperial Amerika)

I agree, Maher is NOT a friend to Free America. The sad truth is, even his tiniest bit of independence from Bushevik Lies and Pravda stands him head and shoulders above the rest in a Nation of King-Worshipping Bootlickers.

[SouthernDem2004]

12. Some people are just intolerant of others.

[robcon]

13. I reject the premise of the thread.

I think Stewart is howlingly funny - Maher less so. I watch The Daily Show because of its humorous take on the news. I could care less whether he agrees with my politics.

Whether Stewart and Maher are "darlings" of the left or not - they are just entertainers.

[liberalpress]

14. With all due respect..

...there have been a number of threads when either of them doesn't spend every moment of their respective shows trashing the current president they have "gone over to the dark side." That's what inspired the thread.

[BrainRants]

15. I second that sentiment.

Don't lose site of the fact these guys are comedians first. We shouldn't be looking towards comedians for our direction in the first place, they are only a small piece of what should be a much bigger stage for Dem opinion on the airwaves.

Here's a little perspective:
Stewart = 2.5 hours per week.
Maher = 1 hour per week.

That's only 3.5 hours per week from these guys on a national stage, seems like a drop in the bucket compared to the combined efforts of Fatboy, O'Liely, Insannity, et al.

The Repugs own the talk radio airwaves (for now) and are able to churn up the echo chamber on demand as a result. But we're sadly fooling ourselves if we think that somehow Maher & Stewert represent the same type of squackbox for our side.

They may have differing views that us at times, but on the whole I think they look for the laugh before looking for the political gain.

[seabeyond]

16. you are right, but it does show how f* news is, that

we go to two people that are not pro democrat simply cause there are times they will call bush on the things that he does, unlike the rest of msm. i am quite sure that if dems were around stewart would be as easily going after them. i know htis to be true. on occasion i have seen him. i dont htink he has much respect for either party.

[Mixxster]

17. "Spokespeople for a cause?"

I can't speak about Mahrer but as far as Stewart goes, I think many people are simply grateful that SOMEBODY is exposing the contradictions and absurdities of this administration. Let's face it, the corporate media isn't going to do it. When Clinton was president, anything and everything was painted a scandal. Now we go to war under false pretenses, website documents get purged, government employees are made to lie about the effects of programs, have Halliburton robbing us blind, have an administration that pays people in the media for positive press and advocates for torture, and on and on and get almost no media coverage.

Thank the gods for John Stewart and The Daily Show.

[AlCzervik]

18. Most of us that watch JON would disagree with this statement

"Stewart is a comedian. His job is to comment on political figures in a mock news show. Most here on the board would be surprised to know he would be just as hard on Democrat in that position as he is in Bush."

We watch so we already know that.

[liberalpress]

19. If what you write is true..

..then why the apoplexy when Stewart says some something nice about bush?

[liberalpress]

20. If what you write is true..

..then why the apoplexy when Stewart says some something nice about bush?

[AlCzervik]

21. don't paint with a broad brush here

that is how some react, not all.

[liberalpress]

22. I never said all react that way...

I said there was apoplexy, not all were apoplectic. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[liberalitch]

23. We must face the facts that in terms of liberal spokes people...

our numbers are limited.

Teddy, Sen Bryd, howard zinn..... they won't live forever

There needs to be armies of people dispossessed by republican policies to provide the testimonials that will convince the people in kansas