CBS interviews Jon Stewart about election of Donald Trump.

Here are a few of the exchanges that caught my attention courtesy of CBS News: 

“It all ties together... Here’s what I would honestly say. I don’t believe we are a fundamentally different country today than we were two weeks ago,” Stewart said. “The same country with all its grace and flaws, and volatility, and insecurity, and strength, and resilience exists today as existed two weeks ago. The same country that elected Donald Trump elected Barack Obama. I feel badly for the people for whom this election will mean more uncertainty and insecurity. But I also feel like this fight has never been easy. And the ultimate irony of this election is the cynical strategy of the Republicans, which is: ‘Our position as government doesn’t work. We’re going to make sure… that it doesn’t work.’” 

“Draining the swamp,” Rose said. 

“But they’re not draining the swamp. McConnell and Ryan, those guys are the swamp. And what they decided to do was, ‘I’m going to make sure government doesn’t work and then I’m going to use its lack of working as evidence of it,” Stewart said. “Donald Trump is a reaction not just to Democrats, to Republicans.” 

Stewart said Donald Trump is “not a Republican,” but a “repudiation of Republicans.”

And then this: 

Stewart said America wages a fight “against ourselves” because it is not “natural.” 

“Natural is tribal. We’re fighting against thousands of years of human behavior and history to create something that no one’s ever-- that’s what’s exceptional about America and that’s what’s, like, this ain’t easy,” Stewart said. “It’s an incredible thing.”

A number of very salient points were made by Stewart in this interview, and of course it made me miss his unique brand of observational comedy all the more.

Fortunately for us it appears that he will soon return on HBO this time, to help us through this dystopic deathscape we find ourselves living in right now.

Samantha Bee weighs in on the hiring of Stephen Bannon, and the other terrible choices Trump could be making to fill his cabinet.

Yes I realize that Ben Carson has now taken his name out of contention, but it's still funny to see him chasing after his luggage.

I almost forgot this show was on last night, and only caught it becasue I was channel surfing.

Glad I did though because Samantha Bee has a gift for putting things into perspective.

Which is important, especially since this guy is out of the picture.

Jon Stewart talks about the Twitter war he had with Donald Trump way back in 2013, and what that tells you about the Republican candidate.

In case you are thinking that perhaps Jon Stewart is making this up, here is that tweet he mentioned from Donald Trump:

If Jon Stewart is so above it all & legit, why did he change his name from Jonathan Leibowitz? He should be proud of his heritage!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2013

In response Stewart decides to respond in a somewhat similar fashion: 

“So I decide to tweet back at him, ‘Many people don’t know this but Donald Trump’s real name is Fuckface Von Clownstick. I wish he would embrace the Von Clownstick heritage,” Stewart said, quipping that “Lincoln used to get into this shit all the time.” 

“I swear to you, this is true — the man who very likely, given the FBI’s preference, be our next President then tweeted ‘Amazing how the haters and losers keep voting the name Fuckface von Clownstick like they are so original and no one else is doing it,” Stewart recalled, attempting not to laugh too much. “Then he tweeted ‘What’s funny about the name ‘Fuckface Von Clownstick? It was not coined by Jon Leibowitz; he stole it from a moron on Twitter.'” 

“So I tweet back, ‘We seem to have hit a F*ckface Von Nervestick,” Stewart continues. He then pointed out that right-wing superman Trump then went silent until four days later in the middle of the night until he tweeted “Little Jon Stewart is a pussy and would be hopeless in a debate with me.”

Stewart then tells the crowd to "Vote wisely this November."

Which of course is very good advice.

As I watched this I could not help but feel the loss of Jon Stewart's amazing wit in this terrible, emotionally draining campaign season.

Others are trying, they're doing their best to fill the void, but it's just not the same.

By the way I am currently sleeping as it is about 2:00 AM in Alaska, but don't let that dissuade you from posting a comment. I usually have to wake up an pee around this time anyway, and I'll check the comments before I go back to sleep.

Jon Stewart returns to late night with the help of his good friend Stephen Colbert.

Courtesy of TPM: 

Jon Stewart made a triumphant return to late night Thursday to eviscerate the newly-christened GOP nominee and his Fox News hype man, Sean Hannity. Stewart took Stephen Colbert's seat on "The Late Show” to repeatedly slam “angry groundhog” Donald Trump, who he said embodies the same values that "Lumpy" Hannity has spent years decrying from President Obama. 

“You just want that person to give you your country back. Because you feel that you’re this country’s rightful owners,” Stewart said. 

“There’s only one problem with that. This country isn’t yours. You don’t own it. It never was.”

Boy seeing Stewart on the air talking about the GOP convention, Roger Ailes, and politics in general just feels right doesn't it?

Covering the RNC was such a herculean undertaking that Stephen Colbert not only enlisted the help of Jon Stewart, but he took the REAL/FAKE Stephen Colbert out of mothballs.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Stephen Colbert tromped out to a cabin in the woods to find Jon Stewart on last night’s “Late Show,” in hopes that the former “Daily Show” host could explain how Donald Trump came to pass. 

Putting aside his chi kombucha, Colbert invited his friend in for some kale jerky, but desperately begged him to forego his beard care to explain how Donald Trump became the Republican nominee for president.

And ye shall know him as Colbert.

The Word, I thought I was going to die and go to heaven.

As if that was not exciting enough, and it was exciting enough, Daily Show alumna Samantha Bee also took a turn at mocking the convention. And she even brought a little Sarah Palin into the mix.

Courtesy of The Wrap:

Samantha Bee kicked off her Republican National Convention coverage with a scorching indictment of — well, pretty much everything about the convention. 

She began by mocking the fact that numerous sponsors pulled their support from the RNC due to Donald Trump’s controversial nature and the fact that many popular Republicans like Sarah Palin have declined to speak at the event. 

Bee also ripped the party’s ultra-conservative platform, which solidified its staunch stances on transgender bathroom use and against gay marriage.

There is literally so much to mock that I think these shows may have to hire extra staff.

I can hardly wait to see what is in the offing for tomorrow. 

Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart together again? Yes please!

Courtesy of Vulture:

Pro tip for anyone who’s been bummed about the absence of Jon Stewart during this election cycle: Make sure to watch Monday’s edition of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The former host of The Daily Show will appear on Colbert’s CBS 11:35 p.m. program to help kick off two weeks of live editions timed to the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, Vulture has learned exclusively. Exactly what he’ll be doing Monday remains a mystery, at least to prying reporters. (A CBS rep declined to comment.) Colbert is anchoring the Late Show from New York, so it doesn’t seem a stretch to imagine — or maybe the word is “pray” — Stewart will be on location in Cleveland as a correspondent at the RNC. (If so, he’ll almost certainly be spotted by one of the thousands of journalists in town to cover the expected coronation of Donald Trump.) It’s also possible that Stewart’s visit Monday could be nothing more than a quick cameo, as he’s done it before for both the Late Show (on which he serves as an executive producer) and fellow Daily Show colleague Samantha Bee’s Full Frontal. Either way, Jon Stewart + Stephen Colbert + Republican National Convention = is it Monday yet?

I think right now this country desperately needs Jon Stewart to offer his patented brand of snark and on point political satire.

Personally I think it is his patriotic duty to provide, in light of what we are facing in these final months of 2016.

On last night's Daily Show there was a shift in the matrix.

Damn, you almost forget how good Jon Stewart was at driving home his point.

That was incredibly powerful, and if I were Mitch McConnell I would think about getting some stitches, because Stewart just ripped him a new one.

I like Trevor Noah, but I freaking idolize Jon Stewart.

Charlie Hebdo responds to #Prayforparis

Source

What was it Jon Stewart once said?

Oh yeah, that's right.

He's back! Jon Stewart to walk the halls of Congress drumming up support to renew the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

Jon Stewart spent years upbraiding Congress from his perch on the set of "The Daily Show," perhaps never to so great an effect as when he embarrassed lawmakers over their failure to help the ailing first responders of 9/11. 

Stewart left the show in August, but the cause of the rescuers who rushed into that nightmarish catastrophe 14 years ago -- at great personal risk and ongoing cost -- is still very much on the former show host's mind now that the 9/11 law that Congress did eventually pass is starting to expire. 

According to sources familiar with the planning, Stewart will be taking a different, more direct tack to help the heroes of 9/11 now that he's out from behind his studio desk. He plans to put his feet to work along with his mouth, and walk the halls of Congress next Wednesday, Sept. 16, with about 100 responders while they make personal appeals to members. Their goal is to help renew the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which starts phasing out next month. 

Stewart first broached the idea with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D - N.Y.), the 9/11 bill's lead sponsor in the Senate. Several responders were in the audience when the senator appeared on one of Stewart's final shows in July, said Glen Caplin, a former Gillibrand aide who is coordinating the Capitol Hill push for his new employer, the Global Strategy Group.

What a great cause, and what a great advocate.

Does anybody else think that having Jon Stewart as an advocate for your cause would be the best thing ever?

Can you just imagine these stuffy old Congressmen, and women, trying to debate Jon Stewart on this, or ANY topic?

Perhaps the only thing that would be more effective is if he brought John Oliver along to help him.

Oh man, they would be unstoppable!

Jon Stewart on Bernie Sanders.

I agree that this is undoubtedly accurate.

However I would argue that there are some conservatives making a similar argument in defense of Donald Trump.

So you just know this is how Fox News is feeling after Thursday night's finale.

I know that Roger Ailes is quoted as saying that the Daily Show "Never made a dent in us."

But I think that the evidence suggests that he did far more than simply make a dent.

He convinced his audience to look at Fox through a skeptical lens, and to fact check the snot out of them.

I actually think that Fox News played even more clips of Stewart on their programs than he played of the stupid things Fox News said on his. 

And it wasn't just that the Daily Show fearlessly attacked the conservative cable news giant, it was that Stephen Colbert followed suit, as did the Tonight Show, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, other cable news programs, blogs, etc., etc., etc.

And just because Jon Stewart is no longer on the front lines leading the charge, does not mean that the war is over by any stretch of the imagination.

I don't usually do a "Moment of Zen" on this blog, but today I think this would be a most fitting first time to do so.

Last night was such an emotionally draining experience for me that I woke up feeling almost as exhausted as I had been climbing into bed.

We keep hearing folks trying to suggest that Jon Stewart is a phony, and a misogynist, and even most recently a racist.

But I am here to tell you that if any of that were actually true that we would not have witnessed the incredible outpouring of love that we witnessed last night.

Yes I know they are actors, but I also recognize genuine love when I see it.

Good bye Jon Stewart, and thank you so very much for everything. 

As I dab my eyes after watching last night's final Daily Show with Jon Stewart let me present Arby's video love note to the man who once compared their food to "Shock and awe for your colon."

You KNOW you are a great man when even the fast food restaurant that you endlessly ridiculed is sorry to see you go.

I cannot believe I have to face Monday with no Daily Show waiting for me at the end of it.

P.S. Were as you blown away by Colbert's cameo last night as I was?

So guess who has been having secret meetings with the President.

Courtesy of the New York Times: 

President Obama has submitted himself for a grilling on the set of “The Daily Show” with Jon Stewart three times. But on at least two occasions, Mr. Obama also secretly met with the comedian on his own imposing turf. 

In 2011 and again in 2014, Mr. Stewart came to Washington for coffee with the president, entering the White House grounds at the entrance where the public tours begin. He shook hands with several tourists and was escorted to the Oval Office for his one-on-one sit down with the commander in chief. 

He joked in 2011 to his escort that he felt like he was being called to the principal’s office. 

The two meetings — recorded in the official White House visitor log — were first noted this week by Politico. Current and former White House officials confirmed the visits, describing them as efforts by the president and his communications team to tap into Mr. Stewart’s influence with younger voters. 

“Jon Stewart was a key influencer for millennials,” said Dag Vega, who worked for several years at the White House developing relationships with media figures. “They relied on him for an honest take on the news, and the president and senior staff know that.”

According to source the President was the one to ask for the meetings, which in my opinion was smart on his part.

Of course talking to Jon Stewart and picking his brain about how to reach groups that are traditionally hard to engage, is an intelligent thing for the President to do. Just like he talks to military experts before deciding on actions in potential war zones, economists when he works on getting people back to work, and experts on Iran before helping to broker that nuclear deal.

Personally knowing that these two engaged in private conversations together at the White House, kind of makes me appreciate both of them just a little bit more.

Actually I now hope that Obama was also secretly meeting with Rachel Maddow to talk media strategies, Neil deGrassse Tyson to discuss science, and Warren Buffet to talk about job growth as well.

P.S. Just for fun here is a rare look at Stewart's Q and A before the show. 

To close out our day here is the last interview that President Obama will give on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Click infectious smile to play video.

Courtesy of Rolling Stone:  

President Barack Obama joined Jon Stewart on The Daily Show for the seventh and final time Tuesday, and the president, with 18 months left in his term, sat down for an episode-long discussion with the host whose two weeks away from ending his own tenure. Obama's first order of business on The Daily Show was alerting the audience that he's issuing an executive order stating that Stewart can't leave the show. However, "it's being challenged in the courts." 

After wondering whether the president was suffering from "Senioritis," Stewart first asked Obama why many of his significant endeavors – universal health care, the Iran nuclear deal – have happened with just one year left in his presidency. 

"There's no doubt that you get better as you go along. It's like any other job," Obama said, acknowledging Stewart's own role as Daily Show host. "But what I do think has happened is a lot of the work we did early starts bearing fruit later. And it just so happened that over the last couple months that people are seeing some of the work that we started way back when I first came in." 

I like the idea that Obama planted the seeds of his most recent victories back when the Republicans were working overtime to block everything he did, and that these things simply skated right past their goalie Mitch McConnell.

I have to say that I thought this was less like an interview, than it was a conversation between two old friends.

And I also take heart with the fact that the President has stated on television, for everybody to hear, that he is working to keep Stewart on the show, and as we have seen fairly recently the man is certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Besides if Jon Snow can be resurrected from the dead, then why can't Jon Stewart?

Jon Stewart is back! Jon Stewart is back! And he immediately gave Donald Trump a smackdown and compared him to Sarah Palin. Ahh, life is good again!

Click image to play brilliance.

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Jon Stewart returned to The Daily Show on Monday to scoff at Republicans who are suddenly willing to distance themselves from Donald Trump — but only after he bad-mouthed one of their own in Arizona Sen. John McCain. 

“The only reason you like this guy in the first place is because of the terrible things he was willing to say about Obama,” he said. “But Trump has no control over the projectile vomit of dickishness that comes out of his mouth every time he opens it. It was inevitable some of his word puke was gonna get on you.” 

The GOP should have known better, Stewart said, because the party had been down the same road in 2008 with Sarah Palin and her “Wasilla word salad.”

“Once you cast a spell and bring an Internet comment to life, it no longer belongs to you,” he explained. “Only this time, the chatroom troll emoji you’ve conjured has $10 billion of its own money.” 

Oh, that was SO satisfying. 

What we have learned about the Charleston, South Carolina shooting, and what we adamantly refuse to learn.

So I, like I am sure all of you, have been watching the news coverage concerning that shooting in Charleston all day today.

To be totally honest I have turned it off a number of times, but then I just go back to it later on like some kind of sadness groupie. And yes, it is heartbreaking.

For instance we have now had it confirmed that Dylann Storm Roof went into that church to start a race war. I think on some level we might have expected as much, but that does not make hearing it any less chilling.

Of course before that was revealed the folks at Fox News were trying desperately to suggest that this was not a racially motivated attack but rather an attack on Christianity. (They also suggested that pastors start carrying guns, because as we all know more guns mean less gun deaths.)

We also learned that Roof almost didn't go through with his plan because "everyone was so nice to him." Which is something that I have read about five times today and it still makes me choke up a little.

I also watched as the victim's families spoke during Roof's bond hearing, and tried to hold it together as every single one of them forgave him.

Yeah it was a hard day.

Made even harder by watching conservatives and Republican politicians attempting to redirect any public outcry over gun control, and claim that racism was not something that they helped to support through their rhetoric or political actions. 

However at least one politician found herself called to task on Facebook in a response that has now gone viral.

Like I said it's been a hard day, and hopefully for some people, who have been working spin for the last 24 hours, it has been especially hard.

And as Jon Stewart so eloquently put it last night, nothing is really going to change. The only question remaining is how long will it be before we are all here again, talking about yet ANOTHER senseless shooting?

Jon Stewart puts all joking aside as he addresses the murders in Charleston, South Carolina.

Click image to watch video.

Courtesy of Mediaite:  

Jon Stewart apologized to his audience tonight for not having any jokes for them, as he just dropped the comedy to get serious about Charleston. He said, “I honestly have nothing, other than just sadness.” 

“By acknowledging it,” Stewart pointed out, “by staring into that and seeing it for what it is, we still won’t do jackshit. Yeah, that’s us. That’s the part that blows my mind.” 

He contrasted how the U.S. does whatever it can to protect everyone from foreign threats, but has an “eh, what are you gonna do?” attitude to domestic threats.

People like to pigeonhole Jon Stewart as nothing more than a comedian who mocks politicians and uses current events as fuel for his comedy.  But this segment once again proves that he is much more than that.

I urge you to watch this, even though it is not what you would usually expect from Jon Stewart.

Actually you should watch it precisely because it is not what you would usually expect from Jon Stewart, and that is what makes it so incredibly powerful.

Oh and his interview with Malala Yousafzai is pretty damn impressive as well.

Sarah Palin welcomes Donald Trump into the clown car. Update!

"Oh God, she's even dumber than they say."

Courtesy of the Tundra Twit's Facebook page: 

@realDonaldTrump - Mr. Trump should know he's doing something right when the malcontents go ballistic in the press! ("Malcontents?" Okay that hurts.) There is no denying Donald J. Trump's accomplishments and drive to create opportunity for every willing American to succeed. (Does she not realize that the ONLY success that Trump has ever created was for himself?) His own success is testament to the job-creating achievements made possible when one applies the courageous and tenacious pro-private sector precepts we need to fire up the economy. (Didn't hurt that his father was a real estate tycoon either.) Trump joins a competitive field of GOP candidates that will duke it out in the arena of ideas and track records, a field representing diverse achievements. This, in contrast with the pro-big government party's practice of merely anointing a chosen one, thus robbing voters of healthy debate. 

Key to conservative's victory is to do our own vetting of each candidate, focus on their ability to unleash America's entrepreneurial spirit and dramatically shrink government in order to prioritize our nation's security. That means we ignore the media's participation in the liberals' Pantsuit Politics of Personal Destruction. (What the hell are "Pantsuit Politics?") THEN, on an even playing field, in 2016 we charge forward after the radical left hears America shout, "You're fired!" 

- Sarah Palin 

Well I think we can say with some certainty that tweedle dimwit here is still writing her own Facebook posts. That is pure undiluted Palin venom if ever I have seen it.

Look I am right with Palin in welcoming Trump to the party. Hell I am fairly giddy over his announcement.

And I am by no means alone.

Last night Jon Stewart had a "comedy-gasm" at the news and Larry Wilmore said that it was a gift from the comedy gods.

All I have to say is that as a political blogger 2016 could not have turned out better if I had sold my soul to the devil for a GOP lineup ready made for mocking.

There is really only one clown left that I want desperately to climb into the car.

Courtesy of Politicususa.

Update: Well this is interesting, yet unsurprising.

Apparently Trump hired actors to fill out the audience for his big announcement.

Well of course he did, because everything about this guy is phony.

Update 2: Unsurprisingly it looks as if Trump appreciated Palin's shout out.

Thank you Sarah--Let's have pizza in New York soon with you & your great family https://t.co/SQ6LsNZ6UC

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 17, 2015

Watching two attention seeking idiots like this stroking each others ego in public makes me a little nauseous.

The Daily Show did the best coverage of the Rachel Dolezal story that I have seen so far.

Click image to play video

Courtesy of HuffPo: 

On Monday night's "Daily Show," Stewart figured the bizarre story would end with Dolezal's resignation, which also would have ended his "Whaaaaaaat!?' segment. 

"Unless of course somebody wants to take a singular incident unrepresentative of any larger construct or trend and force it into exhausting, 24-hour Benghazi Obamaphone culture war dog whistle who-gives-a-fuck-a-tron," he said. 

That "somebody" was Fox News, which was looking for a way to blame the whole thing on liberalism. One Fox talking head even said the incident was proof that racism wasn't so pernicious because "if racism was so pernicious, why would a white woman pretend to be black?" 

"Yes, yes, a white person," Stewart said, giving the "A" the emphasis. "Why would a singular white person?" 

He continued: 

“You might also ask, perhaps more appropriately, if being black is such a sweet deal, why are millions of white people ignoring this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity? How do you make all these sweeping generalizations about it anyway? One lady -- one lady, una mas lady -- in Washington state’s second-largest city pretending to be black. Clearly liberal culture has reached its nadir. Rome has fallen, yet racism is over. It is the best of times, it is the worst of times -- all because a German lady got a weave."

However the best part of the coverage came when Jon had uber white Jordan Klepper come out as the show's senior black correspondent, which forced Jessica Williams to come out and lay down some truth.

I have watched hours of coverage on this story, but in my opinion this did the best job among all of them.

Jessica Williams: "We need allies, not replacements."

P.S. Rachel Dolezal did an interview with MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry that will air later tonight. Personally I think I will set aside the time to watch that.