Has Jon Stewart completely sold out?

[One of the 99]

He has Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein on the show tonight and all Stewart did was make excuses for Republican obstruction in congress.

Plus he used clips of Richard Dawson in a bit and didn't acknowledge the man has just died.

Stewart has become a real disappointment of late.

[Speck Tater]

1. The ministry of ideological purity should exile him to Siberia! nt

[Marrah_G]

46. Yes!

[ManyShadesOf]

2. doesn't everyone anyway

all the time forever?

[Iggo]

35. This subject comes up a lot when talking about musical acts...

...and I think the same answer applies:

They sold out before you ever heard of them.

(EDIT: Oops. I meant this as a reply to the OP. But it works here, too.)

[boxman15]

3. No, I don't think so.

His "Polish That Turd" bit wasn't that funny and put all the blame on the bad jobs report on the president. I think he occasionally does these bits to prove he's not a liberal ideologue (which he's not), but I doubt he believes the president is solely to blame for the economic numbers.

With Mann and Ornstein, I think he was just asking questions some viewers might've asked. "Haven't Democrats been obstructionist before?" "Why are Republicans now different?" It didn't sound to me like he was endorsing those sentiments at all, but he was simply asking the questions so they could answer.

I do agree he's been a little disappointing lately, though. His Diamond Jubilee sketch with John Oliver was the hardest I've laughed on The Daily Show in a long time. From 2007-2011 he was on fire and couldn't be stopped, but he's slowed down a bit and been a lot more inconsistent lately. That was bound to happen.

Colbert, meanwhile, has been the funniest he's ever been lately. I highly recommend his show (if you don't watch). He mocks the right ruthlessly and his critiques of the left or of the president feel genuine and not forced as Stewart's critiques of Obama have felt lately.

[physioex]

4. I saw both Stewart and Leno....

And Leno actually did more today by bashing Faux News Blonds.

[One of the 99]

11. I didn't mind the "Polish That Turd" bit.

While the joke was worn out quickly, I thought it was an honest satire on how politicians try to spin bad news. I problem with it was using clips of Richard Dawson and not acknowledging that the man had just died.

As far as the Mann and Ornstein segment, it was more of just asking questions a viewer might ask. Maybe it was just me but he seemed truely skeptical of what they were saying.

[OriginalGeek]

5. Meh, I think he hits more than he misses

I liked the Jubilee stuff though.

[xfundy]

6. Guess I'll have to wait till I can see it for myself.

But your early characterization set it up well, if you hate or want to obfuscate the truth.

Nice try!

[One of the 99]

8. Go watch the interview

Stewart was the one trying obfuscate the truth by pushing back hard on Mann and Orenstein.

[Champion Jack]

16. ++++1000

[woo me with science]

7. He took on the kill list and the drone strikes the other night.

We had a whole room full of people applauding.

[One of the 99]

19. So?

I wasn't commenting on that segment.

[Orsino]

21. Well, you used the word "completely."

I think you were commenting on all segments.

[One of the 99]

24. No I was commenting on the segment last night.

Go back and read my OP and you'll see that.

[woo me with science]

30. ...

Wow, a little belligerent today. Hope you feel better soon.

[One of the 99]

38. I feel fine

but thanks for your concern.

[Orsino]

43. So: 100% sold out on two percent of issues? n/t

[onenote]

9. Absolutely. Totally. 100 percent.

He's a clone of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity.

Next?


(only because I know its necessary for some people)

[KharmaTrain]

10. You Obviously Didn't LIsten To What Was Being Said...

Mann was excellent...Ornstein says things few rushpublicans would dare...including that it's been an organized effort to obstruct President Obama and how super partisan things have gotten.

Most news channels have been avoiding these two cause they speak truths that work against the narratives of the political parties and the corporate media. Kudos to Jon for having them on!

[One of the 99]

12. I agree both Mann and Ornstein were excellent

But Stewart was pushing back hard on what they were saying.

[KharmaTrain]

13. He Plays Devil's Advocate...

He threw out the talking points and Mann and Ornstein chewed them up. He did a similar interview with them as did Chris Hayes on Sunday morning. The right wing talking points won't go away if we ignore them...hopefully some of the viewers had their eyes opened.

Cheers...

[One of the 99]

18. I saw the Chris Hayes interview

and it was totally different. Stewart's whole additude was that he didn't believe them.

[KharmaTrain]

23. Different Perspectives...

...and I respect what you say. I saw it as both interviews showed how the rushpublicans have gone out of their way to obstruct this President...flipping 180 on previous positions and being coopted by the big money and teabaggers. Its just a matter of style. Hayes is a reporter, Stewart's a comedian...I'm glad they both had these men on. I'm in the process of reading the book...it's turning out to be a primer on how the rushpublicans went off the political abyss...

[One of the 99]

25. True, Stewart is a comedian

but he wasn't making jokes. He whole additude was 'well don't both sides do it'.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

29. this must be the first time you've watched him interview then..

That's his style. I've been watching him his whole career, he asks questions that way when he knows exactly what the answer is. It's very effective, if you actually pay attention.

[One of the 99]

33. No I've watched him for years

And sometimes his style is to joke around, sometimes his style is more sincere and direct. In this case his style was very skeptical.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

37. I watched too, and I just didn't get that. nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. Oh, for fucks sake.

You think he has "sold out" because he wasn't appearing to be liberal enough for YOU, right?

Jesus H. Christ on a cracker.

More and more, this place leaves me shaking my head

[CBGLuthier]

15. yes, I agree.

I had a pithy reply all ready but lost the will to post it. DU has become an energy sink

[One of the 99]

17. Not because he wasn't partisan enough

but because he was pushing back hard on what they were saying. These are two non-partisan scholars and Stewart's whole manner was that the was completely skeptical of them. He was playing the old 'both sides are just as bad game'.

[snooper2]

27. I guess you're going to have to find something else to watch for a half hour at night..

Maybe Real Housewives of NYC?

[Auggie]

36. +1. Besides, Stewart is a comedian first and foremost.

[Egalitarian Thug]

20. He's an entertainer, of course he sold out. He sold his soul years ago in exchange

for the fame and fortune he got. Why are people always so surprised when they find out the real person is nothing like the character in their TV?

[One of the 99]

22. Maybe I expected more from Stewart

But since his rally last year he seems to be pushing the 'both sides are just as bad' meme. This interview was another example of that. When he had Robert Draper on a few weeks ago, he never asked about the GOP meeting on the night of the inauguration where they plotted to obstruct everything the President proposed.

[Egalitarian Thug]

26. And don't forget he's a multi-millionaire himself. n/t

[Marr]

28. If he'd 'sold out', he wouldn't have had them as guests.

That's what the rest of the media is suddenly doing-- just ignoring them all of a sudden.

[BlueIris]

31. Stewart sold out in November of 2004.

When he chose to continue to run the Daily Show as if nothing had happened re: election fraud, fascism, etc. I could not get through even one more episode of TDS after that month.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

32. Just as I find Ed Schultz loud, obnoxious, annoying at grossly misinformed at times...

I find the same thing with Jon Stewart. He tries way too hard to be "fair" to the Republicans when they are the ones who are destroying this country. And he still thinks that "it happens on both sides," even after Rachel Maddow took him to task. When he was on her show and wasn't making any sense at all, she just nodded, but she knew that he had him.

Jon Stewart is not a journalist or a newscaster. He is a commentator and a comedian. What scares me, however, is that many young people watch and listen to him and may be influenced by him.

On the other hand, your complaint is no different than what we see here on DU: quick to blame Democrats FIRST while letting the Republicans off the hook. That is what Republicans want you to do.

At least Bill Maher gets it:

Is it treason to purposefully block any help for the economy so voters blame the president and turn to the other party? Just asking. - Bill Maher

[Demonaut]

34. whaaaaat?

get a grip

[goclark]

39. Jon just got the memo

"Shut Up and praise the Rethugs."

[brettdale]

40. I like Stewart

I just dont like the way he claps like a trained circus seal and giggles like a little kid,
every time he has Oreilly on.

[obamanut2012]

41. no

[redwitch]

42. No. nt

[DainBramaged]

44. (sigh)

There is a special button on you TeeVee. If you disapprove of Mr. Stewart, please feel free to use it. He wll go POOF just like you want him to.




Have you stopped by your food pantry lately to help? Just asking.

[Marrah_G]

45. I think Stewart is great

[lonestarnot]

47. Ridiculous.

[WilliamPitt]

48. LOL

[JHB]

49. No, he's just one guy.

One guy will never be everything we'd like. I want more, with more variety, but for now we have Stewart, and his shortcomings are a molehill next to a mountain of good.

[Swede]

50. You are not paying attention,if you think this.

Mann and Ornstein have been ignored,glad they are getting some airtime.

[One of the 99]

51. I've seen Mann and Ornstein on several other shows

So they are not being totally ignored by the media. The point is that Stewart pushed back on them. The only other person who did so more was Joe Scarborough. And to be fair he did so in a much more aggresive way than Stewart.

But it is not only this one interview. It his both sides are just has bad additude since his rally last year.

When he had Robert Draper on a few weeks ago, he never asked about the GOP meeting on the night of the inauguration where they plotted to obstruct everything the President proposed. That's a major revelation in Draper's book but Stewart ignored it.

A while back he had Jodi Kantor on and basically kissed her butt. A week earlier he did a segment going after FOX news for inaccuracies in their report about a White House halloween party for Veteran's families. But the basis of that report was Jodi Kantor's book, so she was responsible for those inaccuracies, not FOX. Yet when he had her on he never even brought it up.

So it is not just the one interview with Mann and Ornstein, it was just the latest incident.