Stephen Colbert announces candidacy

Tuesday, October 16th, comedian Stephen Colbert made television and political history when he announced his entry in the race for the presidential election on his comedy show, The Colbert Report. He intends to only run in his native state, South Carolina, in hopes of winning the primary and the title of favorite son. In addition to his already untraditional campaign style, Colbert is attempting to run on both the Democratic and Republican ballots.

Prior to his announcement, he was a guest on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, where he teased the audience by saying, "I am officially announcing that I have decided to officially consider whether or not I will announce that I am running for President of the United States." After "fifteen minutes of soul searching," Colbert confirmed that he was indeed entering the race for presidency.

CBS Political analyst Jeff Greenfield, who was a guest on the show, told Colbert, "This is about as unexpected piece of news as I have ever heard in my life covering politics. This is actually going to be one for the books."

Colbert's motives for running are what keep his critics and fans following this spectacle so closely. Some critics believe it to be just another one of Colbert's comedic acts. Throughout the show, Colbert has joked several times about running for office. Perhaps this is just another ploy to make America watch and laugh.

Another reason could be Colbert's effort to mock America's political system, showing that really anyone can be president. In the show, Stephen Colbert embodies a staunch, egotistical patriot who is sympathetic to the conservative side, even though he finds fault with both parties. Given the decisions and events of the current administration, President Bush is constantly parodied and questioned by the media and public. Thus the question is whether or not Colbert is taking the effort a step further or even a step too far.

"As a nightly watcher of the show, I think his main agenda is to draw attention to our flawed political system," said fan Leigha Schneider, 3rd year graphic design major. She has watched The Colbert Report since it aired in 2005. "It is just one big joke and hopefully will open the eyes of the public to see how ridiculous our government has become."

Others disagree with his approach. "I think he tries too hard," said Brittany Green, 3rd year biopsychology major. "Isn't it time to get serious about the government? Sarcastic humor shouldn't win votes."

However, critics believe the biggest element of this event is the fact that Stephen Colbert's book, I Am America (And So Can You), has recently hit bookstores and is rapidly becoming a bestseller. Is it mere coincidence, or is Colbert using his run for presidency as a publicity stunt to sell his book?

It is very likely that his motive is a combination of all of these factors. Whatever the real reason may be, the reality of the situation is that he is sincere and his staff have already done their homework. The Colbert team has thoroughly researched how to enter into the race and put their best efforts to work. Theoretically, Colbert only needs 2.5 percent of the votes in the primary to get one delegate. On the show's Web site, there is a link for registered South Carolina residents to electronically sign the petition (as well as multiple links to order his book).

America is truly curious to see if his entry will affect the campaign process. Colbert has a huge following and a strong presence in the media. Since the show first aired in 2005, Stephen has managed to have the word "truthiness" added to Webster's Dictionary, a Hungarian bridge named after him and his own Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor.

Even though he intends on just winning the delegation of one state, his influence on the nation may have more weight than we all think. We'll just have to wait and see whether the joke turns out to be on him or us. Be it ratings, publicity or a stab at America's political system, he has definitely caught the attention of the nation.