Eh, I trust Stewart’s motivations, but not necessarily his judgment. I listened to him interview Ezra Klein and Stewart fell for his neoliberal Abundance bullshit without any pushback of critical thought. I could see him getting led astray by some of the same Democratic hacks that destroyed the party.
Or, hear me out: we abolish the presidency. There’s absolutely no need for so much power to be vested in one person.
A lot of people here are condemning celebrity in US politics, and I get it… but at this point in time we might need someone who is already famous yet consistent and trustworthy. Stewart has shown himself to be a good person for decades. He’s also politically informed, progressive, and whip smart.
We need a candidate who wants real change for the betterment of the working class. Somehow people thought that was Trump… I guess because he said he would be, a few times? And people were hoping hard? And not looking at his track record at all? Also racism? More importantly though: people didn’t think that candidate was Harris, who got pushed through by the Democratic party and ran an uninspiring campaign. Those people didn’t vote. Those people were excited about candidates like Bernie, who’s track record on class issues is indefatigable. Those people could potentially be excited about Jon Stewart tearing shit down for the actually betterment of the poor, and might trust that he would try.
That’s my read, anyway. A Mamdani could come along and stir up some real enthusiasm, but I think it’s harder for a no-name without a proven record to win a national election. Last time that happened we ended up with Obama, and people still feel burned by his lack of progressive action.
I love John Stewart… but this is a terrible idea.
edit: Based on the responses to this I’m just gonna be thankful I’m not American. You guys apparently have so little clue what is actually involved in civics that you’re unironically doubling down on reducing the entire system to a reality tv debacle.
His 911 advocacy is common knowledge. Bringing it up like that automatically makes him the ideal candidate to run the worlds largest economy and military is ludicrous.
Similarly people comparing Zelensky in Ukraine to a potential Jon presidency are comparing apples to coconuts.
Honestly I don’t even know why I said anything. Americans slept while their democracy devolved into the world shittiest reality show. Expecting them to see the folly in tripling down on populism was clearly my mistake.
No matter who the Democratic nominee is the right will attack him or her in the exact same way, calling them radical communists that want all of our boys turned into girls and all of our murderers to have taxpayer funded penthouses. I just want a candidate who understands the severity of the situation and isn’t going to fuck around. Jon Stewart definitely fits the bill.
Jon could absolutely destroy anyone on a debate stage. Mainly because it’s a popularity contest, and he’s spent his entire life learning to be popular on screen and stage. He’s also a smart guy with great insight into a lot of situations.
None of that means he would be a good president. It’s a different set of skills.
The bottom line though, would he be better than the alternative? And I hear what you’re saying. Those nazi crack monkey’s put on a hell of a show, how could Jon possibly do a better job? I’m not sure, but given the option, I think I’d give him a shot.
He’s too conciliatory to win debates. He’d have to seriously change his personality because I don’t think he likes face to face conflict, given how he softballs interviews with asshats like Jeffries.
Watch him mop the floor with Tucker on Crossfire.
I remember seeing that and it was funny, but arguing Tucker on ethics is like arguing quantum mechanics with a microencephalic.
He softballs when he wants to get more guests. If he goes after every politician, they all run and hide. To see him actually debate you have to see him off his own show. He’s given very compelling addresses to congress as well.
And seriously, he’s one of the most popular TV personalities in the country. What you’re saying is you don’t like Taylor Swift’s music, so she must be a shitty entertainer. Maybe you’re just not the target audience?
I think the Jon for president thing is copium, but to be fair Jon does have two of the most important traits in a president: conviction and a good bullshit detector. Whether he’d be able to do the day to day work aside, there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t be able to lead the country in a better direction in a big picture sense.
most important traits in a president: conviction
And not in the way that Trump has convictions.
He would mop the floor at the debates but I’m not sure debates matter anymore. I remember “they’re eating the cats” not mattering as much as it should have.
Debates matter. Remember when Biden beat medicare?
Oh Jesus more celebrities in politics is the last thing you guys need
Hey. Shut up.
Trump has done exactly one thing right. He has united his entire party to accomplish their goals. They’re utter shit goals by utter shit people, but they’re accomplishing exactly what they set out to do.
Name one candidate who could do that better than Jon Stewart.
You Americans don’t see the insanity since you’re deep in it
Name one American politician you respect more than Jon Stewart.
not an american… but I feel you guys have 3: Bernie, AOC, Zohran Mamdani
AOC has a major problem she doesn’t have a penis.
I don’t think Clinton’s or Harris’ problems were their genitalia. I think it was that they both were fundamentally bland and uninspiring candidates running bland and uninspiring campaigns against a guy who got his base whipped into a frenzy every time he stepped on stage. They are both immeasurably better-qualified and more well-suited for the office, but Clinton ran on an “it’s business as usual, which means that it’s my turn” platform, and Harris ran on a “let’s get back to business as usual, I’m better than the other guy” platform; and by the time they course-corrected, they had both run out of time.
Harris even had a taste of that base-engaging fervor in the early days of Walz’s selection, when he was going on attack and calling Republicans “weird,” but then her consultants pulled the leash and he brought it back to business as usual.
Would AOC succeed where Clinton or Harris failed? I doubt it. She’s been the subject of a GOP smear campaign for six years now. But it won’t be just because she’s a woman. There’s still a lot of misogyny in the American electorate, of course, but I think it’d honestly account for something like 3-5%. Enough to make a difference in a close race, but not enough to truly sink a good, compelling candidate.
Bernie is too fucking old. He was too old for the presidency 12 years ago.
AOC is too fucking young, and the moderates hate her. She has less of a chance than Harris did. She also suffers the same issue Hillary did: the GOP has been running against her for a decade already. They’ve poisoned the well on her something fierce. She would make an excellent VP, but she doesn’t have the chops to win the presidency herself.
Mamdani is ineligible to run for president, and you must have seen how much opposition he faces even from his own party. Even if he could run, he doesn’t have a chance on the national stage.
Stewart comes prepackaged with 10,000 sound bites tearing apart the GOP on every issue they’ve ever raised.
Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly (twins, both were Navy Captains, both were Astronauts, one is now a Senator from Arizona) would be good, but they aren’t progressive enough.
Who else?
You put Jon Stewart in the White House, hire his writing staff into the west wing, and we’ll have Universal Healthcare in 6 months.
I’m waiting for the insane part.
Scott Kelly and Mark Kelly (twins, both were Navy Captains, both were Astronauts, one is now a Senator from Arizona) would be good, but they aren’t progressive enough.
The most generic democrats you could support
Turn your criticism-gun toward Stewart. What have you got on him? Why shouldn’t he be president?
I don’t respect ANY American, you’re all a disaster
You sound like an American.
Wow you’re straight up stupid
So you’re an idiot
I doubt he’ll run, if he runs, I doubt he’d get the nomination. But, there are much worse choices. I’d vote for him. I think he’d have a better chance than AOC, because he’s an old white man. That’s not what people want to hear, but I think it’s true.
If Zelensky is any indication, comedians make for excellent heads of state and ministers of war. A good leader not only has wits, but also the voice to convince people of a vision.
Comedians have a day job of making people agree with them, without needing bribes or institution to back them.
If Zelensky is any indication, comedians make for excellent heads of state and ministers of war
:-|
Hey boys, found the Putin Puppet!
Oh yeah cause any critic is a Russian spy.
Slow down on the koolaid, bud.
Zelensky is actively censoring Ukraninan journalists from reporting any criticism on the war. Is this what you mean by comedians being good at making people agree with them?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/world/europe/ukraine-press-freedom.html
In the grand scheme of things I don’t think Jon Stewart wouldn’t be that different from Gavin Newsome as president. I’d prefer Stewart 100x more than Newsome, just on a personality level, but the direction of the office would be pretty much the same. Newsome is a slimeball but he’s not the worst Dem option on the progressiveness & electable matrix. I’m pretty sure Stewert isn’t to far from Newsome on the spectrum overall. I’d much rather have AOC personally. I think she’s far to the left of either Jon and Newsome.
Newsom has been leaning into transphobia recently, he’s a slimeball and I don’t trust him to not throw the trans community under the bus for some bullshit.
Newsom would straight up push the DNC to abandon transpeople
