Stephen Colbert replaces David Letterman: How political will 'Late Show' be?
| Washington
It鈥檚 true 鈥� Stephen Colbert is taking over for David Letterman. On Thursday CBS announced that Mr. Colbert, the pretend-blowhard host of the fictionally right-leaning 鈥淐olbert Report鈥� on Comedy Central, will succeed Mr. Letterman as host of 鈥淭he Late Show鈥� in 2015.
Colbert has signed a five-year contract with CBS. His deal with Comedy Central expires at the end of the year, so for him, Letterman鈥檚 announcement that he was retiring came at a good time.
鈥淪imply being a guest on David Letterman鈥檚 show has been a highlight of my career,鈥� Colbert said in a statement. 鈥淚 never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave鈥檚 lead.鈥�
Colbert added that he was off to grind a Lettermanesque gap in his front teeth.
In the US government policy wonk-o-sphere, this news was the biggest thing going on Thursday afternoon. That鈥檚 because to this point Colbert has been a highly political performance artist, someone who鈥檚 testified before Congress on his (comedic) attempt to work as a migrant agricultural laborer, and set up his own nonprofit political organization to highlight the absurdities of US campaign finance law.
Sure, late night hosts have joked about presidents and other aspects of US politics for decades. But Colbert takes it to another level. He鈥檚 funny, and serious, in a funny kind of way.
鈥淭ruth is Colbert taking over Late Show probably more politically significant than notional passage of Ryan Budget,鈥� tweeted at the left-leaning Talking Points Memo site.
Remember, in 2012 an otherwise-reputable pollster decided to include Colbert鈥檚 name in a poll of South Carolina Republicans prior to that state鈥檚 primary. He got five percent 鈥� enough for him to announce that he was running for president. Not of the United States 鈥� of South Carolina.
鈥淕od bless America and God bless 鈥楥itizens United,鈥� 鈥� Colbert said then, hat-tipping the Supreme Court decision that made his own super PAC possible.
Then that purported to be against Colbert, but were really against the concept of super PACs, of which they made fun. Yes, it鈥檚 complicated 鈥� he鈥檚 a performance artist, like we said, not just a guy who tells jokes.
That鈥檚 why Washington is so excited about the prospect of a Colbert late night show. It鈥檚 like he鈥檚 a combination of Jack Paar and Ezra Klein. (Don鈥檛 know who that is? He鈥檚 a new wave wonk journalist 鈥� Google him.)
Of course, it鈥檒l be interesting to see if Colbert鈥檚 presumed liberalism comes through more clearly in his new show. According to broadcast industry reporter Bill Carter of the New York Times, Colbert says he鈥檚 going to drop the blowhard right-wing persona, modeled at least partly on Fox News鈥� Bill O鈥橰eilly.
Who will Stephen Colbert be without 鈥淪tephen Colbert鈥� as a shtick and shield?
鈥淚 can鈥檛 be the only one wondering of it鈥檚 going to be Stephen Colbert or 鈥淪tephen Colbert.鈥� Is there even a Stephen Colbert left anymore?鈥� tweeted , a senior editor at The Federalist.
Others noted that Colbert talks occasionally about his own Catholicism in a serious way, so it will also be interesting to see how he handles the intersection of faith and public policy.
Meanwhile, other fictional political characters denied they鈥檇 been under consideration for the job. The Twitter feed of a comment from Nixon press secretary 鈥淩on Ziegler,鈥� saying that 鈥淧resident Nixon was never in contact with CBS regarding any open position. His feelings regarding that network are well known.鈥�
That clears that up, anyway.
