Hopes for a "Colbert Nation" come to an end
Short-lived presidential campaign ends for talk show host, Stephen Colbert
Bill Rhein
Issue date: 11/13/07 Section: News
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The Robin Williams film "Man of the Year" has become very relevant the past weeks as television star and political know-it-all Stephan Colbert officially tried to run for president. Though it was a running joke that he and Jon Stewart would run for the presidency, there was no seriousness in this idea. That is, until Oct.16, when Colbert announced he would run for president on the Democratic ballot in South Carolina.
A few weeks later, the South Carolina Democratic Executive Council rejected his candidacy in a 13-3 vote. Given the nature of his show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, many felt he would not be a serious candidate.
"The general sense of the council was that he wasn't a serious candidate and that was why he wasn't selected to be on the ballot," said Joe Werner, director of the S.C. Democratic Party.
Colbert's brief candidacy raises important questions as to whether or not someone with no official government experience could become president. His candidacy has also drawn comparisons to both Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, both actors turned government leaders.
In less than a month the "1,000,000 Strong for Stephan T Colbert" Facebook group gained almost 1.5 million members, and continues to grow. But, he certainly has had more appeal to the youth of the country than other possible candidates. This has not gained just the interest of the online community, but also news companies across the nation, who rushed to cover this event.
With such clear public support, speculation as to whether he could have won persists. A Rasmussen poll placed Colbert ahead of Republican candidate Ron Paul and Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich. A similar poll placing Colbert against Rudy Guiliani and Hillary Clinton showed Colbert at 12% support, mainly in the 18-29 age bracket. It started as a joke, but it was serious enough for South Carolina to take action.
Though not made public, another reason against letting him run is the fact that, should he win, it would take away electoral votes from other candidates. This would be similar to the situation in pre-civil war times when Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidency because the Democrats were split between their north and south candidates.
A few weeks later, the South Carolina Democratic Executive Council rejected his candidacy in a 13-3 vote. Given the nature of his show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, many felt he would not be a serious candidate.
"The general sense of the council was that he wasn't a serious candidate and that was why he wasn't selected to be on the ballot," said Joe Werner, director of the S.C. Democratic Party.
Colbert's brief candidacy raises important questions as to whether or not someone with no official government experience could become president. His candidacy has also drawn comparisons to both Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger, both actors turned government leaders.
In less than a month the "1,000,000 Strong for Stephan T Colbert" Facebook group gained almost 1.5 million members, and continues to grow. But, he certainly has had more appeal to the youth of the country than other possible candidates. This has not gained just the interest of the online community, but also news companies across the nation, who rushed to cover this event.
With such clear public support, speculation as to whether he could have won persists. A Rasmussen poll placed Colbert ahead of Republican candidate Ron Paul and Democratic candidate Dennis Kucinich. A similar poll placing Colbert against Rudy Guiliani and Hillary Clinton showed Colbert at 12% support, mainly in the 18-29 age bracket. It started as a joke, but it was serious enough for South Carolina to take action.
Though not made public, another reason against letting him run is the fact that, should he win, it would take away electoral votes from other candidates. This would be similar to the situation in pre-civil war times when Republican Abraham Lincoln won the presidency because the Democrats were split between their north and south candidates.
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