# The President of the United States vs. Steve Colbert?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [May 1, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915 "2006-05-01T04:11:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/1 "2006-05-01T04:11:41Z")

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[Link](http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425363).

All I can say is:

Oh, _snap_.

😃

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**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/2 "2006-05-01T04:13:24Z")

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I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to post the duplicate thread…

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**Author:** ![Snag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Snag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snag)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/3 "2006-05-01T04:16:21Z")

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> [@Kythereia](#):
>
> [Link](http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002425363).
> 
> All I can say is:
> 
> Oh, _snap_.
> 
> 😃

The incompetancy of the White House continues to astound. Who thought that Colbert would be a great guest to have at the White House Press Corresponent’s Dinner?

The thought of the WH response to that person is nearly as hilarious as Colbert’s performance. I think you can find it on CSPAN.

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/4 "2006-05-01T04:22:03Z")

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Come on now.

That cite is based on reality, and we all know that reality has a well-known liberal bias.

😃

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**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/5 "2006-05-01T04:31:58Z")

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Oh, holy mother of Minnie Pearl. Both barrels. Right in the face. I swear to god, if I were Stephen Colbert, I’d be prepared to be audited.

I mean.

Damn.

This could be legendary.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/6 "2006-05-01T04:40:13Z")

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Oh dear. Either someone in charge of getting the talent for this shindig pwnd the Prez, or someone in charge of the talent watched a few Colbert shows and **didn’t get it**.

I can hardly wait for the fallout.

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**Author:** ![5\_time\_champ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/278dde/32.png) [@5\_time\_champ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5_time_champ)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/7 "2006-05-01T04:43:28Z")

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Audited, I’ll bet Cheney has probably already has a cell in Gitmo picked out for Colbert. 🙂

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**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/8 "2006-05-01T04:45:51Z")

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> **[Colbert Confronts Bush With Truthiness](https://www.cinemablend.com/television/Colbert-Confronts-Bush-With-Truthiness-202.html)**

Oh. My. Jumping monkey JESUS. (The video in three links)

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**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/9 "2006-05-01T04:59:03Z")

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Wow, that was brilliant. One killer after another. I wonder if anyone told Bush beforehand that the Colbert character was a whoosh. He might have thought he was getting a real, true-blue supporter. I’m Glad Colbert didn’t hold back. Those were some real stingers. My favorite, though, was a shot at the press corps.

> [@](#):
>
> Addressing the reporters, he said, “Let’s review the rules. Here’s how it works. The president makes decisions, he’s the decider. The press secretary announces those decisions, and you people of the press type those decisions down. Make, announce, type. Put them through a spell check and go home. Get to know your family again. Make love to your wife. Write that novel you got kicking around in your head. You know, the one about the intrepid Washington reporter with the courage to stand up to the administration. You know–fiction.”

I also like the nickname “Snow-job” for Tony Snow.

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**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/10 "2006-05-01T05:06:15Z")

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While its obvious that Steven Colbert has balls the size of Utah, the picking of him to headline the event was no mistake. Even though he flayed the Pres and VP with stunning accuracy, the move allows the angry majority of the country to vicariously blow off steam without posing any real threat to the throne. That’s right, Steven Colbert has now become a live-action Dilbert figure.

The puppeteering will continue to payoff. Within two weeks, a Colbert backlash wave will crash upon the shore, causing many to start defending the President against the mean-spirited Colbert. And so, by allowing himself to be crucified publicly, Bush will gain back some lost popularity points.

PS, I thought the Presidents bit with the stand-in was mostly quite funny, but I thought it was in pretty poor taste joking about the guy who got his face shot off by our illustrious VP.

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**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/11 "2006-05-01T05:25:39Z")

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For the part where Colbert suggested that McClellan wanted to spend more time with \<some other guy\>'s children. Who was the \<some other guy\>?

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**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/12 "2006-05-01T05:47:52Z")

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Andy Card, the recently departed WH chief of staff.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/13 "2006-05-01T05:57:15Z")

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The “government that governs least” joke was fabulous, and the Helen Thomas thing (was that a Terminator homage?) was pretty funny.

> [@Purd Werfect](#):
>
> The puppeteering will continue to payoff. Within two weeks, a Colbert backlash wave will crash upon the shore, causing many to start defending the President against the mean-spirited Colbert.

This is so 2003. 😉 You’re saying that people who are pissed off about Iraq and gas prices will rush to the President’s side over the Stephen Colbert issue? Maybe “Colbert” will replace “gay marriage” as the theme that unites the Republican base as they solidify the GOP hold on Congress in 2006. All for the nerve of a guy being funny at a comedy dinner where he was hired to be funny. Or maybe not. Maybe this is on C-SPAN, proving no one will watch or care, Bush laughed a little, and tomorrow it’ll be overwhelmed by coverage of the immigration rally thing. 😃

Some of this speech is recycled from the Report, by the way. The “gut” material was straight out of the first episode, and the “68% of the people approve of the job he’s not doing” is a few weeks old.

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**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/14 "2006-05-01T06:04:57Z")

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> [@Purd Werfect](#):
>
> While its obvious that Steven Colbert has balls the size of Utah, the picking of him to headline the event was no mistake. Even though he flayed the Pres and VP with stunning accuracy, the move allows the angry majority of the country to vicariously blow off steam without posing any real threat to the throne. That’s right, Steven Colbert has now become a live-action Dilbert figure.

If that was their strategy, I think it will fail. But I doubt they planned it like that. It’s quite possibly they just “screwed up” (from their perspective, of course. In my view colbert was the most appropriate choice) just like they screwed up when they picked Mike “Heck of a job” Brownie for FEMA.

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**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/15 "2006-05-01T06:09:27Z")

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Thanks **commasense**. I should have recognized his name.

> [@Purd Werfect](#):
>
> While its obvious that Steven Colbert has balls the size of Utah, the picking of him to headline the event was no mistake. Even though he flayed the Pres and VP with stunning accuracy, the move allows the angry majority of the country to vicariously blow off steam without posing any real threat to the throne.

I agree that this will generate some sympathy and rally support – you can see that already in some of the comments of the video link – I am not sure that Colbert’s relentless roasting was part of a greater plan by the administration to build support. I think it could be exteremly damaging to the president’s PR to have a video of Colbert openly criticizing a policy or decision while the president sits next to him, quietly half-smiling, without disagreeing. Sure Colbert is a comedian, but he is playing the part very straight.

(I tried to keep my response focused on the video and not politics. I apologize in advance if it strays too far…)

Also, I thought the press secretary try-out started out funny, but got really weak with the Helen Thomas part. It sapped a lot of the momentum from the roasting. Of course, his presentation was over so it did not matter much.

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**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/16 "2006-05-01T06:11:09Z")

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> [@E-Sabbath](#):
>
> [http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Colbert-Confronts-Bush-With-Truthiness-202.html](http://www.cinemablend.com/television/Colbert-Confronts-Bush-With-Truthiness-202.html)
> 
> Oh. My. Jumping monkey JESUS. (The video in three links)

I’m sending a link of that to everyone I know.

Can Colbert win an emmy for that?

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/17 "2006-05-01T06:14:34Z")

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> [@Marley23](#):
>
> (was that a Terminator homage?)

My interpretation was it was a Generic Over-Hyped Suspenseful Movie homage, but you could be right.

In any case, I suspect the Report will be pretty good tomorrow. I can’t wait.

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/18 "2006-05-01T06:17:05Z")

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> [@dnooman](#):
>
> Can Colbert win an emmy for that?

Screw the Emmys, give him a Pulitzer. He was upset that they snubbed him this year.

By the way, a couple of people seem to have missed that the _Associated Press_ chose Colbert as the speaker. [I guess they were trying to make amends for not crediting him with “truthiness.”] Not the White House. This isn’t some Karl Rove “whatever this is, it must be a brilliant strategy” thing.

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**Author:** ![Acqua\_Minerale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@Acqua\_Minerale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acqua_Minerale)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/19 "2006-05-01T06:27:37Z")

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Justice Scalia seemed to like it.

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**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-president-of-the-united-states-vs-steve-colbert/354915/20 "2006-05-01T06:42:14Z")

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Wow, that was something. Somebody gave him an opportunity and boy did he take it. That must have been something to be able to say those things directly to the president.

I think I detected a bit of Phil Ken Sebben during his press conference.

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