WASHINGTON, October 18, 2012 — President Obama is returning tonight at 11 p.m. EDT for a sit-down with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central’s “Daily Show.” This will be his sixth visit and second as a sitting president with the sharp-tongued satirist. If past shows are any indication, this will be one rollicking evening.
The President is in New York City today, as is his opponent Mitt Romney, for the legendary Al Smith Dinner. That is one meal no presidential candidate can refuse nor have they since the Kennedy-Nixon campaign in 1960. But Obama is making sure he has time for Stewart, whom he last visited on October 27, 2010. Is this becoming a “must” on the President’s To Do list?
So far Mitt Romney has avoided “The Daily Show.” Is it for the same reason he refuses to sit down for an interview with “The View”? Fear — in that case of Whoopi Goldberg? Come on, Mitt, even Bill O’Reilly could chitchat with Stewart and more than hold his own.
Bill O’Reilly and Jon Stewart have mixed it up a few times AP
However, Romney has sent in Ann Romney for an interview with the gang on “The View” today, so she obviously isn’t afraid of the big, bad Whoopi.
Coming two days after his come back performance at the debate, President Obama should be ready for some words of praise but also more than a few reminders of his “asleep on his feet” performance at the first debate. Jon Stewart had a high, old time skewering Obama’s mediocre appearance the first time out, so how can he let the President forget?
Obviously appearing on “The Daily Show” is a savvy move by any candidate since 80% of the viewers tend to be much younger, in the 18 to 49 years old demographic, with more than a few people in the Boomer and Silent Generations tuning in. If you want to turn out the youth vote in the numbers seen in the last presidential election, what better way than sitting down across from Jon Stewart and bantering. Many young people cite “The Daily Show” as where they get most of their news, even though Jon Stewart has labeled his popular show as “fake news.”
President Obama has always held his own with Stewart, who obviously leans his way politically, but that doesn’t mean Stewart won’t let the barbs fly. Expect the President to give as good as he gets. So let the fun begin. At 11 o’clock tonight.
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