No, Jon Stewart should not be president
We haven't learned our lessons, have we?
The first thing I want you to know is that by writing this, I am part of the problem.
By giving attention to an idiotic proposal based entirely in celebrity worship — and in using that celebrity’s name in the headline of this piece — I am adding in my own very small way to a political-media economy that values entertainment over just about any other public good you can name. It’s why we’re losing our democracy.
With that out of the way…
Jon Stewart should not be president.
It may come as a surprise to you that this is a topic for discussion. It comes as a surprise to me! But it is, because Politico decided to put it out there. For funsies, I guess.
It’s a “fairly serious” pitch for Stewart to replace Biden on the 2024 Democratic ticket. And yes, it mentions you-know-who:
Trump turned an entertainment career into a political one not by growing into the moment, but by dragging politics further into the zone of entertainment. Since then, if anything, he’s been one-upped by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a professional comedian and television star who played a president on TV, and, in face of the brutal Russian onslaught, has parlayed that deftly into a real-life role as one of the world’s most admired and effective leaders. Increasingly, being TV-savvy isn’t just a bonus for a world leader. It’s a core requirement.
Let’s admit for a second that Ukraine got lucky with Zelenskyy. But let’s also admit that the United States continues to get very, very unlucky with Trump — whose success as a presidential candidate was built almost entirely on the false picture of himself as an accomplished businessman, “Donald Trump,” in his hit show The Apprentice. Trump brought TV savvy to the role, alright. He didn’t really know how to govern worth a damn, though, and he didn’t even seem to care. He was too busy watching cable TV and tweeting. When he wasn’t performing he was consuming the performances of others.
I’d like to think Stewart has a bit more character than that, but I also don’t give a shit.
The thing to understand about this piece from Juleanna Glover — “CEO of Ridgely|Walsh, a public affairs advisory firm based in D.C.”1 — is that it’s focused entirely on Stewart’s ability to deliver and embody a message. It’s a necessary skill! But Glover doesn’t really tell us what the message should be, or the policies that Stewart would be uniquely skilled at advancing for the American people. Maybe she just assumes — or would have us assume — it’s standard Dem boilerplate: More healthcare, fewer wars, etc. Or maybe the substance of governance simply isn’t her concern.
The celebrity part is the only part that’s important.
Haven’t we learned our lesson?
Apparently not. Here’s her conclusion, fantasizing about a possible Stewart run against Tucker Carlson:
On Thursday, at the opening event for the new media company Semafor, Ben Smith pushed Carlson on whether he would run for president. Carlson brushed him off, which is exactly what every presidential candidate is supposed to do at this stage of the political cycle.
If Biden doesn’t run, Stewart would start with a massive name ID advantage over any other Democrat and a vast legion of Daily Show viewers. The show ended 6 years ago, but Trump’s jump from TV to the White House has taught that viewers — even of a declining reality series — can be committed voters. By that measure, Stewart starts off better positioned than nearly anyone else in the Democratic field from the start.
He could do this — and if Carlson runs, he may feel like he has no choice.
Kill me. Kill me now. If America can’t do better than to put two people best known for their cable TV shows up for the job of Most Powerful Person In The World, then shame on us.
Odds and ends
Check out my latest column appearing in the Kansas City Star and Wichita Eagle: “If only Republicans are allowed to have their votes count in Kansas, the best way to make your vote count is to register as a Republican. For Lawrence Democrats, that probably requires a bit of nose-holding, but so what? If you can’t beat ‘em, the only choice is to join ‘em.”
Today’s recommendation
Joe Pera’s show for Adult Swim got canceled this week. Here’s an excerpt from the best episode, which I truly believe to be one of the most joyful pieces of art made in recent years. Go find the full episode — it’s just 11 minutes long — somewhere.
Serious question: Whose interests is she advancing by writing this column? And what interests are Politico serving by publishing it?