Where's Colbert?

Aug 13, 2008 21:36


Stephen Colbert is asking the Democratic National Committee to let him speak at the convention in Denver. It's a brilliant piece of self-promotion. It's also a great idea for the Democratic Party.

What would happen if Colbert spoke? Viewership of the convention in the under-30 age bracket would skyrocket. Undecided voters in this demographic, which overwhelmingly favors Obama, would gain exposure to the Democratic Party and associate it with one of their favorite icons. If they stick around to watch Obama speak, even if only a quarter do so, the Democrats stand to gain a not-insignificant number of votes. In a close election, this can make all the difference.

Maybe I'm overstating the point; after all, most under 30s support Obama already, so inviting Colbert might only be gilding the lily. I don't have any hard data proving how many new votes the Dems would stand to gain, but I do know that, historically speaking, actually getting the youth vote to turn out in significant numbers has proven elusive. It's hard to get young people to pay attention and follow through on something as boring as politics. We're overloaded with information, have short attention spans, and demand to be entertained pretty much every second. Obama has been able to break through the noise, but whether he can get us to log off World of Warcraft long enough to vote remains to be seen. Inviting Colbert to speak at the convention will get our attention back. It's been a long summer of asinine mud-slinging, and Colbert would be a welcome breath of fresh air.

I'm not surprised the Dems are hesitant. There's a lot of risk involved. Colbert is highly unpredictable. He might pull another White House Correspondents' dinner, making the Democrats look like a bunch of ineffectual buffoons (it wouldn't be difficult). Why should they trust him when he had no compunction about insulting the most powerful man in America when he was mere inches away? Because Colbert has a lot more to gain from helping the Democrats than he does from screwing them over. The vast majority of Colbert's audience supports Obama, or at least doesn't want to see him be ridiculed on a national stage. Colbert is a shrewd self-promoter, and he wouldn't risk alienating a wide portion of his audience. On top of that, if he gives a speech that's well received by the Dems, and Obama later wins the election, Colbert can claim the president was the beneficiary of the "Colbert bump." If he delivers the political Holy Grail, the youth vote, he'll be remembered as one of the most influential voices in politics, let alone entertainment. It's a tempting proposition.

Nonetheless, inviting a comedian to speak at the convention might rob it of some dignity. This is a weightier concern for me; I wouldn't have a problem if it were 2004 (anything to break up the monotony of a John Kerry lecture), but this time it's different. This is the first time our generation has had a real say in who we nominate for president. Our parents' generation would've nominated Hillary Clinton. They hinted that Obama was "different" and "foreign," and somehow not to be trusted. They begged us to consider the Carter example (another popular figure swept into office outside of the establishment, later to be known as one of the worst presidents . . . other than Bush II). Neither argument worked. Our generation considers itself post-racial, and we weren't alive when Carter was elected. We don't speak the same language of fear and disillusionment.

The convention is going to celebrate our hopes for the future. Why would we want to risk diminishing it? Because allowing Colbert to speak at the convention makes sense. Late night comedians are the most trusted source of news and opinion for our generation. Think of Colbert as a modern day Walter Cronkite, minus the journalism. No one would bat an eye if Tom Brokaw were to speak. The under 30s have embraced Colbert because he speaks truth to power. He uses sarcasm to expose the stupidity of unquestioned authority. Sarcasm resonates with us; it was the language we spoke for most of the '90s, when everything was so awesome there was nothing to complain about (how I miss those days!). Plus, sarcasm is a great way to distinguish those who "get it" from those who don't. If Colbert helps the Democrats at the convention (even if all he does is mock the GOP), he'll go a long way toward giving the Democrats some legitimacy.

If you agree with me, or if you just want to see what will happen, here's the email address for the Democratic National Convention: info@denverconvention2008.com. Let them know you want to hear Colbert speak.
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