# Colbert for President **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032 "2007-10-17T13:17:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yeeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/96bed5/32.png) [@Yeeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeeter)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/1 "2007-10-17T13:17:19Z")
So, last night Stephen Colbert announced that he was considering running for president on “The Daily Show” and 15 minutes later on his own show announced that he IS running for president. Well, that is interesting. I mean, what if he won? Should we think he is taking this seriously? Who is it that is running, the person, or the arrogant/ignorant conservative character? [http://www.indecision2008.com/blog.jhtml?c=v&m=88755](http://www.indecision2008.com/blog.jhtml?c=v&m=88755) ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/2 "2007-10-17T14:15:19Z")
If he’s serious, I’ll vote for him. I’m not happy with the field anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/3 "2007-10-17T14:19:17Z")
If I understood him correctly, he’s only running in South Carolina. He is running as both a Democrat and a Republican (not sure if that’s permissible under the primary rules of the state) with the goal of obtaining 2.5% of the vote and garner one delegate to the convention. ---
**Author:** ![Surbey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@Surbey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surbey)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/4 "2007-10-17T14:26:45Z")
I’d vote for him, seriously. I hope he wins it. Better than the rest of these jerks. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/5 "2007-10-17T14:28:18Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] If I understood him correctly, he’s only running in South Carolina. He is running as both a Democrat and a Republican (not sure if that’s permissible under the primary rules of the state) with the goal of obtaining 2.5% of the vote and garner one delegate to the convention. [/QUOTE] And presumably he would be his own delegate (who else is worthy?), which would present many opportunities for televised hijinks on the convention floor. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/6 "2007-10-17T14:29:37Z")
[QUOTE=Surbey] I’d vote for him, seriously. I hope he wins it. Better than the rest of these jerks. [/QUOTE] Nah. That plot’s [been done.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_the_Year_%282006_film%29) ---
**Author:** ![Ferd\_Burfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@Ferd\_Burfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferd_Burfel)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/7 "2007-10-17T14:30:23Z")
I suspect his campaign will be similar to [Pat Paulsen’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Paulson) . > [@](#): > > The comedian was approached by the Smothers Brothers with the idea of running for President in 1968. His reply, he was later to recount, was: “Why not? I can’t dance — besides, the job has a good pension plan and I’ll get a lot of money when I retire.” > > Paulsen’s campaign that year, and in succeeding years, was grounded in comedy, while not bereft of serious commentary. He ran the supposed campaigns using obvious lies, double talk, and tongue-in-cheek attacks on the major candidates, and responded to all criticism with his catch phrase “Picky, picky, picky”. His campaign slogan was “Just a common, ordinary, simple savior of America’s destiny.” ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/8 "2007-10-17T14:31:39Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Nah. That plot’s [been done.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_the_Year_%282006_film%29) [/QUOTE] Lousy movie, too. 21% on the tomatometer. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/9 "2007-10-17T14:35:20Z")
[QUOTE=Burrido] If he’s serious, I’ll vote for him. [/QUOTE] I’ll vote for him if he’s not serious. Previously I’d been leaning toward voting for Dick Gregory. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/10 "2007-10-17T15:33:48Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] If I understood him correctly, he’s only running in South Carolina. He is running as both a Democrat and a Republican (not sure if that’s permissible under the primary rules of the state) with the goal of obtaining 2.5% of the vote and garner one delegate to the convention. [/QUOTE] Alas, he was being comedic about the 2.5% thing. The Democratic Party has a [15% threshold](http://www.thegreenpapers.com/Definitions.html#Prop) (at the district level) to win delegates, and the [Republican primary](http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/SC-R.phtml) in South Carolina is winner-take-all by district. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/11 "2007-10-17T16:18:09Z")
I respect his thoughtfulness - after all it took all of ten minutes for him to make up his mind to run! (Less considering they had to get the balloons ready.) What I’d like to see is him invited to a Republican debate. It might even get Fred Thompson to wake up. It would also beef up their ratings. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/12 "2007-10-17T17:14:45Z")
[QUOTE=Ferd Burfel] I suspect his campaign will be similar to [Pat Paulsen’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Paulson) . [/QUOTE] And before him, [Jimmy Durante in 1952](http://www.amazon.com/Candidate-Photographic-Interview-Honorable-Durante/dp/B000LQSCXA/ref=sr_1_1/002-5625761-1946464?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192640883&sr=1-1). And before him, [Gracie Allen in 1940](http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/1836/campaign1940.html). And before her: > [@](#): > > The idea wasn’t particularly new. Other radio personalities, notably Eddie Cantor and Will Rogers, had made slapstick runs in the direction of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Nothing at all new about comedians conducting mock presidential campaigns. They’re great for ratings. And it’s not the tiniest bit a coincidence that he announces this the week after his book came out. Money, money, money. That’s the only thing to take seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/13 "2007-10-17T17:16:18Z")
[QUOTE=Voyager] I respect his thoughtfulness - after all it took all of ten minutes for him to make up his mind to run! (Less considering they had to get the balloons ready.) [/QUOTE] That’s “thoughtiness”. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Nevermind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/53a042/32.png) [@Nevermind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nevermind)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/14 "2007-10-17T17:19:33Z")
He’s not ready. Lets give a few years… ---
**Author:** ![duality72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duality72/32/3910_2.png) [@duality72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duality72)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/15 "2007-10-17T17:31:03Z")
So what does it take to put him in the primaries outside of South Carolina? As lackluster a field as the Republicans are sporting, it’d be fun to see him shake things up beyond SC. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/16 "2007-10-17T17:32:34Z")
He’s a liberal that makes the GOP look foolish by pretending to be ultra conservative. If he did win, I’m not sure he’d drop the act. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/17 "2007-10-17T17:33:43Z")
Are there any SC dopers? What if Colbert won all the delegates to the Republican convention? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/18 "2007-10-17T18:32:27Z")
[QUOTE=Sitnam] He’s a liberal that makes the GOP look foolish by pretending to be ultra conservative. If he did win, I’m not sure he’d drop the act. [/QUOTE] Obviously the ultraconservativism is an act, but what evidence is there that he is liberal? I always kind of pictured him as pretty moderate (since during his Daily Show days he would make fun of the Left just as aggressively as the Right). I’ve heard he’s a pretty devout Catholic (which doesn’t preclude him from being a liberal), but I know next to nothing about his true beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/19 "2007-10-17T18:46:53Z")
I can’t believe I’m about to share a link from fricking _Parade_, but they did make mention of his religion in their interview with him: [http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition\_09-23-2007/AStephen\_Colbert](http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2007/edition_09-23-2007/AStephen_Colbert) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2007, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032/20 "2007-10-17T19:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=Skammer] Obviously the ultraconservativism is an act, but what evidence is there that he is liberal? I always kind of pictured him as pretty moderate (since during his Daily Show days he would make fun of the Left just as aggressively as the Right). I’ve heard he’s a pretty devout Catholic (which doesn’t preclude him from being a liberal), but I know next to nothing about his true beliefs. [/QUOTE] Down deep, very deep, he is … a funny, geeky D&D playing Tolkien fanatic. So, I would guess, he is a monarchist. 😉 From interviews on programs like Fresh Air, he appears to be a moderate with liberal tendencies as far as things like Gay Rights. I never heard his views on Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life. I have heard him say, he liked the father a lot more than the son, speaking about the Bushes. I never heard discussed for who he has actually voted. I would say, we know less about him than even Obama or Thompson. Jim [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colbert-for-president/423032.md?page=2)