Colbert on Morning Joe: endorses (in all seriousness) Ron Paul

[eqcitizen]

Did anyone check out morning joe this morning? A friend just called me up and told me that in all seriousness, after cracking jokes about every other candidate out there they asked who he would really want as the nominee. He responded "Ron Paul" because he is consistent.

Did anyone else catch this, and seeing as though i didnt see but was only told it by a friend, hopefully someone can get a youtube or corroborate my story?

Edit:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43hlXKg5FOo

[ronpaulfollower999]

I definitely want a Tube of that. Not that I don't believe the OP, but I need to see it to believe it!

[freejack]

Then he should stop telling SC to vote for Cain and vote for Paul instead.

[eqcitizen]

Like i said, i was just told this by a friend...hopefully it is true.

But I think Colbert says cain because it is funny and it goes along with his whole schtick. It seems like he rarely brakes character and if he did in this case it may be pretty cool to see.

[PastaRocket848]

It's weird when Colbert breaks character. He speaks completely differently. It's really a testament to how good he is at what he does that it's "weird" to see him being himself. He's also über-smart, which becomes more obvious when he isn't acting. I've only seen a couple videos of him "as himself", they're hard to find, and he's only done 1 serious interview that I know of.

If he really did that it'd be great.

[ronpaulfollower999]

Here's the video:

http://www.nationalconfidential.com/20120120/video-stephen-colberts-ron-paul-joke-rocks-morning-joe/

[Constitutional Paulicy]

Colbert was on Morning Joe this morning.?

[bronc_fan23]

Colbert wasn't on Morning Joe this morning.

Look at the post above you.

[rblgenius]

Wow I would like to see the full video though but it sounds like he broke character with the endorsement

[Constitutional Paulicy]

Look at the post above you.

Cool thanks.

[eqcitizen]

He really did break character at the end there and he seems genuinely honest. Thanks for the video

[Tyler_Durden]

Here's the video:

http://www.nationalconfidential.com/20120120/video-stephen-colberts-ron-paul-joke-rocks-morning-joe/

They spun this story like it was a joke. He looked sincere to me!!!

[Chieppa1]

Um, what's with the video title? "Ron Paul joke"?

[Rincewind]

Good stuff.

Also that's a fantastic joke.

[Dsylexic]

please summarize for me.i am at work and cant access video

[phx420]

this needs to go viral, now

[LawnWake]

Wow, he totally did break character there. That was great.

[PastaRocket848]

Not exactly an "endorsement" by any means. Still cool though.

[eric_cartman]

here's the tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43hlXKg5FOo

[bubbleboy]

I cant believe this. amazing. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it.

[Nate-ForLiberty]

Stephen Colbert just endorsed Ron Paul for realsies.

[PaulConventionWV]

Um, what's with the video title? "Ron Paul joke"?

I dunno, but his endorsement was no joke. Maybe he'll get Colbert's 5% now!

[speciallyblend]

Um, what's with the video title? "Ron Paul joke"?

he told a joke before the endorsement, watch the video.

[RPsupporterAtHeart]

That was a completely honest answer from Colbert. When you watch him enough it's very easy to see when he jumps out of character. It wasn't an endorsement, but when asked to choose from the 4 on stage honestly he didn't hesitate to shove it down their throats.

[speciallyblend]

I dunno, but his endorsement was no joke. Maybe he'll get Colbert's 5% now!

he told a joke before the endorsement.

[ItsTime]

Then he must tell people to vote for Ron not Cain! This could actually put us into second place.

[speciallyblend]

They spun this story like it was a joke. He looked sincere to me!!!

he told a joke before the real endorsement.

[The One]

I love Colbert, but I don't see what was particularly funny about that specific joke.

[jkr]

thank you steve!

[otherone]

The joke was a reference to the fairytale "Rumpelstiltskin" (sp?)....You's get his gold if you discovered his name....meaning, Paul's name is ignored (debates/media)...some of the talking heads didn't get it. Colbert's 'endorsement' was about Paul's character, not his policies.

[Diurdi]

he told a joke before the endorsement. Cracked me up too :D

[The One]

The joke was a reference to the fairytale "Rumpelstiltskin" (sp?)....You's get his gold if you discovered his name....meaning, Paul's name is ignored (debates/media)...some of the talking heads didn't get it. Colbert's 'endorsement' was about Paul's character, not his policies.


That helps. Thanks. I guess since you're the other me, you know the stuff I don't know. You must know a lot.

[freejack]

Ron-Paul-stiltskin

I get it now.

[Liberty74]

Then he must tell people to vote for Ron not Cain! This could actually put us into second place.

Or at least guarantee a strong third where the anti tea party Theocrat drops out.

[mavtek]

The joke was a reference to the fairytale "Rumpelstiltskin" (sp?)....You's get his gold if you discovered his name....meaning, Paul's name is ignored (debates/media)...some of the talking heads didn't get it. Colbert's 'endorsement' was about Paul's character, not his policies.
Yep I caught that too, it was so much as a joke on Ron Paul, more a slight to the media.

[Carole]

Rest of the video was just cracking jokes and totally did not include anything about Ron Paul. You see the only good part in that short video. :D

[Tyler_Durden]

Stephen Colbert just endorsed Ron Paul for realsies.

We need to cut, toob, and viralize that endorsement portion!!

[FreeTraveler]

That was not an endorsement. He gave Ron props for his consistency, that's all. He never said anything about any of the issues, and he never said "I endorse."

People see what they want to see, I guess. Spreading it around as an "endorsement" is gonna make people look silly, IMO.

[Yoddle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43hlXKg5FOo&feature=player_embedded

Video ^^^

[slamhead]

Sounds like and endorsement to me..... Twitter it.

[georgiaboy]

not an actual endorsement, but when backed into a corner about which of the four on stage he would 'pick', he chose Ron.

I'll take it.

[Rincewind]

It's not an endorsement. It's nice to see, however, and it can only help I think.

[AdamT]

"Do you know if you guess Ron Paul's name he has to teach you to spin hay into gold" LOL

[Tyler_Durden]

not an actual endorsement, but when backed into a corner about which of the four on stage he would 'pick', he chose Ron.

I'll take it.

Exactly, they asked in all seriousness. He played with the answer and then gave an all-serious answer on who he likes.

[thetruthhurtsthefed]

Moderator must put this on front page!

[papitosabe]

I love Colbert, but I don't see what was particularly funny about that specific joke.

me either... Joe was the only one really laughing...the others were doing the fake laugh one does when something isn't really funny but you laugh anyways...I'll admit, I've done that b4

[speciallyblend]

Moderator must put this on front page!

this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^

[Rincewind]

me either... Joe was the only one really laughing...the others were doing the fake laugh one does when something isn't really funny but you laugh anyways...I'll admit, I've done that b4

Well, I think Joe's actually read a book before.

I thought it was hilarious.

[Matthew Zak]

The joke about Ron Paul was actually funny and they were all in stitches. I laughed as well. At the end, he said positive things about Ron Paul that were very genuine.

[wide awake]

Somewhat off-topic but here is the duet he did with James Taylor last night (I thought it was well done and also hysterical in how he compares himself to Cain):

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/406411/january-19-2012/james-taylor---stephen-colbert----carolina-in-my-mind-

[voytechs]

Spin straw into gold.

That is right on the money, insightful truth told as humor. RP wants to replace something worthless with gold.

[Jeremy Tyler]

Hahaha that wad great. But I'm unsure if people will say he is being serious or not if they were to see it.

[Fredom101]

Toobz or it ditn't happen...

[sailingaway]

Here's the video:

http://www.nationalconfidential.com/20120120/video-stephen-colberts-ron-paul-joke-rocks-morning-joe/

+rep

[Pauls' Revere]

Dear media,

Can we have a Ron Paul surge now?

[Maltheus]

I'm shocked. Thought Colbert pretty much hated us. Like in the way the MSM does.

[Dianne]

That made my day !!! I didn't get the joke at the beginning, that cracked everyone up. But I loved the finish !

[Matthew5]

I'm shocked. Thought Colbert pretty much hated us. Like in the way the MSM does.

Colbert and Stewart have always respected Dr. Paul. The Colbert Report is just a character. It's extremely rare for Colbert to ever break character (he's almost like a modern day Andy Kaufman) and so although he skewers politics quite abit, he seemed sincere when he broke character at the end.

[Matthew5]

The joke was awesome! It was kinda deep once you think about it, but, even on the surface, it was hilarious!

[Highstreet]

Politico article doesn't even mention Paul...give me hell:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71719.html

[Pauls' Revere]

LOL if you guess his name he has to teach you to spin hay into GOLD !!!

So true, how many people dont realize how Ron Paul can build wealth for this nation.

[Darin]

It's on Reddit if anyone wants to upvote (or downvote) it. (http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/oouwe/colbert_likes_ron_paul_o/)

BUT, I disagree with everyone. I think the reddit title is better. I don't think it's an endorsement. I think he, like Stewart, respect Paul... but very much disagree with him. They'll be on Obama mode in the next couple months.

The Super Pac thing makes it pretty clear that they're very much on the opposite side of the issue.

The gold joke, though, was brilliant.

- Darin

[NoPants]

I love Colbert, but I don't see what was particularly funny about that specific joke.

It was a reference to Rumpelstiltskin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpelstiltskin).

[purepaloma]

Colbert is a smart man.

[Maltheus]

Colbert and Stewart have always respected Dr. Paul. The Colbert Report is just a character. It's extremely rare for Colbert to ever break character (he's almost like a modern day Andy Kaufman) and so although he skewers politics quite abit, he seemed sincere when he broke character at the end.

I never doubted Stewart's respect, but character aside, I always felt a level of true hostility coming from Colbert (aside from maybe that '08 or '07 interview). Guess I was wrong. Or perhaps it's just that Colbert is so much more liberal that it was just the hostility to his views I was sensing, whereas Stewart is capable of occasionally seeing the wisdom of the other side.

[bbwarfield]

The joke was a reference to the fairytale "Rumpelstiltskin" (sp?)....You's get his gold if you discovered his name....meaning, Paul's name is ignored (debates/media)...some of the talking heads didn't get it. Colbert's 'endorsement' was about Paul's character, not his policies. thank you... I got it and was waiting for the media and the rest of us too.... It was a pro Ron joke

[PaulStandsTall]

Lol clearly the other people there did not understand the joke.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0qm0KUPeD8

[Erazmus]

Wow.

[randomname]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNvJZCFpdp8

[blazeKing]

Ron-Paul-stiltskin

I get it now.

Haha nice...Ronpaulstiltskin will teach you how to spin straw into gold if you guess his name

That's actually a really clever joke

[Austin]

http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/ooyky/video_stephen_colberts_ron_paul_joke_rocks/

[Liberty4life]

Ron Paul/Stephen Colbert ? #paulcolbert

[agorist ninja]

Change the thread title. Was not an endorsement.

Some people...

[ElizabethR]

I KNEW IT. I FREAKING KNEW IT!! Go look at some of my previous posts, where I've said that Colbert and Stewart are not going to use their superpac against Ron because they freaking like him.

This is probably the first prediction I made about this presidential race. This just made my YEAR!!!!

[Pauls' Revere]

The joke about Ron Paul was actually funny and they were all in stitches. I laughed as well. At the end, he said positive things about Ron Paul that were very genuine.

Yes, and the subtle message is that once you understand Ron Paul you understand how we can build wealth in this country.

[Revolution9]

I love Colbert, but I don't see what was particularly funny about that specific joke.

Wikipedia entry on plot...

"In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lied to a king, telling him that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king called for the girl, shut her in a tower room with straw and a spinning wheel, and demanded that she spin the straw into gold by morning, for three nights, or be executed (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). She had given up all hope, when an impish creature appeared in the room and spun straw into gold for her in return for her necklace, then again the following night for her ring. On the third night, when she had nothing with which to reward him, the strange creature spun straw into gold for a promise that the girl's first-born child would become his.
The king was so impressed that he married the miller's daughter, but when their first child was born, the imp returned to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised". The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. The imp refused but finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the final night, her messenger discovered the imp's remote mountain cottage and, unseen, overheard the imp hopping about his fire and singing. While there are many variations in this song, the 1886 translation by Lucy Crane reads:
Today do I bake, to-morrow I brew,The day after that the queen's child comes in;And oh! I am glad that nobody knewThat the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!"[1]"

So it was clever in that it called them out on not "knowing his name". And that if they did he would teach them how to spin fiat "hay" into real "gold"..i.e..if he became President there would be a gold standard of sound money but they have to speak his name...The first born child is the nomination and subsequent Presidency, so within the joke is subtle sarcasm, a strike at the panelists, an evocative image of RP as an imp who can turn hay into gold as well as their narrative into pwnage and is a major cognitive loaded truth bomb. The laughs were the results of that cognitive dissonance taking many new tangents in their constructs and they couldn't contain the neurological overload. Great stuff.

Rev9

[1000-points-of-fright]

So it was clever in that it called them out on not "knowing his name". And that if they did he would teach them how to spin fiat "hay" into real "gold"..i.e..if he became President there would be a gold standard of sound money but they have to speak his name...The first born child is the nomination and subsequent Presidency, so within the joke is subtle sarcasm, a strike at the panelists, an evocative image of RP as an imp who can turn hay into gold as well as their narrative into pwnage and is a major cognitive loaded truth bomb. The laughs were the results of that cognitive dissonance taking many new tangents in their constructs and they couldn't contain the neurological overload. Great stuff.

The total amount of thought that went into that joke was probably "Ron Paul is a goofy little guy who likes gold."

[Liberty4life]

So it was clever in that it called them out on not "knowing his name". And that if they did he would teach them how to spin fiat "hay" into real "gold"..i.e..if he became President there would be a gold standard of sound money but they have to speak his name...The first born child is the nomination and subsequent Presidency, so within the joke is subtle sarcasm, a strike at the panelists, an evocative image of RP as an imp who can turn hay into gold as well as their narrative into pwnage and is a major cognitive loaded truth bomb. The laughs were the results of that cognitive dissonance taking many new tangents in their constructs and they couldn't contain the neurological overload. Great stuff.

Rev9

*****

[papitosabe]

So it was clever in that it called them out on not "knowing his name". And that if they did he would teach them how to spin fiat "hay" into real "gold"..i.e..if he became President there would be a gold standard of sound money but they have to speak his name...The first born child is the nomination and subsequent Presidency, so within the joke is subtle sarcasm, a strike at the panelists, an evocative image of RP as an imp who can turn hay into gold as well as their narrative into pwnage and is a major cognitive loaded truth bomb. The laughs were the results of that cognitive dissonance taking many new tangents in their constructs and they couldn't contain the neurological overload. Great stuff.

Rev9

boy, am i dumb..

so watching it again, Joe was the only one that got it..the others just laughed cuz they saw Joe laughing but did not get it either..so I don't feel so bad...:)

[randomname]

It was a reference to Rumpelstiltskin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpelstiltskin).

heh

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7dHoulkOs_A/TNfIcT26vTI/AAAAAAAAAAo/MKcVxNXdnbY/s1600/6007677_rumpelstiltskin.jpg

[Brian4Liberty]

The joke was awesome! It was kinda deep once you think about it, but, even on the surface, it was hilarious!

It was a good joke, but you need implicit knowledge of the two things he was indirectly referencing, Rumpelstiltskin and the Gold standard. Some of those talking heads probably didn't get either of those aspects of the joke.

Did anyone notice how the air was sucked out of that room when he said he would choose Ron Paul? It's like all of them froze. There's quite a powerful "conditioning" effect going on right now.

[doronster195]

Those of you saying he was joking about it and it wasn't an endorsement -- ok, it wasn't an OFFICIAL endorsement. But it seemed to be an endorsement of his consistency. Yes, he made a joke before -- but that's what he's there for. To make jokes. It would have been weird if he didn't make a joke and then praise Paul...

[Eleutheros]

Wikipedia entry on plot...

"In order to make himself appear more important, a miller lied to a king, telling him that his daughter could spin straw into gold. The king called for the girl, shut her in a tower room with straw and a spinning wheel, and demanded that she spin the straw into gold by morning, for three nights, or be executed (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). She had given up all hope, when an impish creature appeared in the room and spun straw into gold for her in return for her necklace, then again the following night for her ring. On the third night, when she had nothing with which to reward him, the strange creature spun straw into gold for a promise that the girl's first-born child would become his.
The king was so impressed that he married the miller's daughter, but when their first child was born, the imp returned to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised". The queen was frightened and offered him all the wealth she had if she could keep the child. The imp refused but finally agreed to give up his claim to the child if the queen could guess his name in three days. At first she failed, but before the final night, her messenger discovered the imp's remote mountain cottage and, unseen, overheard the imp hopping about his fire and singing. While there are many variations in this song, the 1886 translation by Lucy Crane reads:
Today do I bake, to-morrow I brew,The day after that the queen's child comes in;And oh! I am glad that nobody knewThat the name I am called is Rumpelstiltskin!"[1]"

So it was clever in that it called them out on not "knowing his name". And that if they did he would teach them how to spin fiat "hay" into real "gold"..i.e..if he became President there would be a gold standard of sound money but they have to speak his name...The first born child is the nomination and subsequent Presidency, so within the joke is subtle sarcasm, a strike at the panelists, an evocative image of RP as an imp who can turn hay into gold as well as their narrative into pwnage and is a major cognitive loaded truth bomb. The laughs were the results of that cognitive dissonance taking many new tangents in their constructs and they couldn't contain the neurological overload. Great stuff.

Rev9

+rep

You went to the bottom of the ocean on that one (read: that was deep).

[Okie RP fan]

South Carolina Republicans do not watch MSNBC.

And people do not take Colbert seriously.

[EBounding]

There's a difference between respect and an endorsement. Like Stewart, Colbert may genuinely respect Paul, but he's going to vote for Obama.

[tommyzDad]

+rep

You went to the bottom of the ocean on that one (read: that was deep).

I feel like I just tuned in to an old episode of Ghost in the Shell.

[surf]

South Carolina Republicans do not watch MSNBC.

And people do not take Colbert seriously.
c'mon man. the young folk watch Colbert, democrats do, i do. youtube is good, and this is really good.

he's gone after Parry (with an A), Gingrich, Romney... bet they're just waiting to release a big healthy batch of Santorum when it's needed.

[Bruno]

Brilliant slam at the media. They along with all the other MSM shows gave Ron Paul yet another blackout after a great debate night, and he calls them out on it and makes them laugh at the joke that was on them.

[flynn]

I think Colbert just gave Ron Paul the nod.

http://www.spikednation.com/evideo/colbert-serious-moment-he-likes-ron-paul

[JordanL]

I've never seen Colbert break character before... that was almost creepy.

[slamhead]

There's a difference between respect and an endorsement. Like Stewart, Colbert may genuinely respect Paul, but he's going to vote for Obama.

I think you are wrong. Colbert is conservative. I read experts from his book when my daughter was reading it. He has very conservative views.

[rprprs]

It's on Reddit if anyone wants to upvote (or downvote) it. (http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/oouwe/colbert_likes_ron_paul_o/)

BUT, I disagree with everyone. I think the reddit title is better. I don't think it's an endorsement. I think he, like Stewart, respect Paul... but very much disagree with him. They'll be on Obama mode in the next couple months.

The Super Pac thing makes it pretty clear that they're very much on the opposite side of the issue.

The gold joke, though, was brilliant.

- Darin
Since we're all just giving our opinions, here's mine. At my own peril, I pretty much take the opposite view of the above.

Initially, I didn't understand the joke and I still don't really get it. Despite the clarification as a reference to the Rumpelstiltskin character and even when associated with Ron's connection to the gold standard, I found it to be a bit too 'off-the-wall' and too obscure to be really funny.
I think to be truly funny, the premise has to be clear, and I think any clarity here existed largely inside Colbert's head. Despite the laughs from Joe and others, I think the basis for the "joke" was lost on most, myself included. In essence, it lacked context. I'm not sure I know where he was coming from, or where he was going with it. Had it been preceded by some discussion of the media ignoring Ron, perhaps it might have had resonated better. As it stood, it was, at best, an arcane inside joke. I just think having to analyze it, interpret it, or provide conjecture on its origins or intent, doesn't say much about its innate comedic value.
(Yes, I know, overthought and at odds with the way this thread is headed, but, still, just my .02.) ;)

As to his later out-of-character "endorsement", I think it was pretty much just that. Not an endorsement for the presidency (Obama has that), but for the Republican nomination. He gave a serious answer to a very specific question as to who he would favor or support out of the four men on stage. And he didn't say "I like Paul's consistency, but...(and then choose someone else)". He clarified why he named Paul, and it was a definitive and reasonable (if limited) assessment. No, he would not agree with much of Ron's domestic policy positions, but he would not do so for any of the other GOP contenders either. For the GOP field, it was an endorsement.

[Barrex]

Sorry people but get back on the ground. I remember people saying "Mark my words Ron will win Iowa." How that went? Today polls (if done by professionals) are really really accurate. Third place is best we can do if we consider the reality of MSM and GOP establishment....

[VBRonPaulFan]

time for RP to get the colbert bump!

[RonPaul101.com]

At least Colbert shows that Ron Paul should be considered honorable for his consistancy. You would think voters would find that highly appealing and important since no one candidate is consistant.

[ssjevot]

I think you are wrong. Colbert is conservative. I read experts from his book when my daughter was reading it. He has very conservative views.

He pretends to be conservative it is part of his act. Colbert the actual person is progressive.

[thoughtomator]

Colbert is a conservative libertarian, a counterpoint to his friend Stewart being a liberal libertarian. Colbert's on-stage persona is a parody of a neo-con.

[Johnny Appleseed]

and of course the rest of the puppets on stage just glaze right over it and on to next subject...they have a Ron Paul default mode built into their tiny puppet brains

[Bruno]

and of course the rest of the puppets on stage just glaze right over it and on to next subject...they have a Ron Paul default mode built into their tiny puppet brains

Exactly. When he comes out of character and makes a statement like that about a supposed "fringe" candidate, you would think there would be a single followup question. Instead, they quickly move on lest they lose their jobs.

[Mckarnin]

I think he was serious too. The response of the others on the show, no laughter, no joking.

[kylejack]

I thought he was going to turn it into a joke, but he didn't. He said a similar thing before about Bush, something like,

"This is a guy who believes the same thing on Wednesday that he believed on Monday, no matter what happened on Tuesday."

[unknown]

He seemed serious to me.

[affa]

The total amount of thought that went into that joke was probably "Ron Paul is a goofy little guy who likes gold."

absolutely incorrect. Colbert -definitely- knew the truth behind his joke. Rev9's interpretation is spot on.

Colbert skewered the media, and embraced Ron Paul in that joke... but it's hidden deep. That is extremely high level memetics -- an idea is a virus, and one of the best ways to spread an idea is to create a wrapper for it so that it gets past the initial filters/defenses of opponents to that idea (like a virus does).

That the joke was so obscure only added to it - it created a cognitive dissonance in almost every listener. This opens up our minds to new thoughts. The followup laughter was mostly faked, as people that didn't get the joke (not having the proper knowledge of myth and fables) struggled to understand it. But even for them, turning 'hay into gold' is as clear a concept as any.

Colbert knew exactly what that joke meant. Beautiful.

[affa]

the guy to the very left has the weirdest look on his face after Colbert supports Ron Paul. He's completely flummoxed.

[Brian4Liberty]

As it stood, it was, at best, an arcane inside joke.

At Thanksgiving dinner, there were four of us at the large table who were "scientists" or engineers. One guy was talking about temperature at a job site in Alaska, and said they were using Kelvin instead of Fahrenheit. I said "the thing I really hate about Kelvin is that when it reaches zero, I can never start my car."

[Dianne]

Let's hope Colbert endorses him then :)) .

[Mini-Me]

He pretends to be conservative it is part of his act. Colbert the actual person is progressive.

This is my understanding as well. It's hard to get a precise read on the real Colbert, since he's almost always in character (playing a Bill O'Reilly type), but I'd place his views around the progressive ballpark too. I'm not sure if he's squarely in that camp, or if he's a civil libertarian with progressive leanings, or what. This isn't the first time he has shown legitimate respect for Ron, though...his whole schtick is making fun of neocon pundits, so he can easily see how much Ron differs from the pack. I have trouble truly warming up to him, since the hard exterior of his character only lets a little light shine through, but there's no question he's a brilliant satirist.

[Jamesiv1]

Exactly. When he comes out of character and makes a statement like that about a supposed "fringe" candidate, you would think there would be a single followup question. Instead, they quickly move on lest they lose their jobs.

Would have been interesting if they had spent a few minutes talking about why Colbert's comment was so clever. Rumplestiltskin, an impish little devil who knows how to turn something worthless (straw) into something precious (gold) and will do it for you, too - in exchange for your first-born child.

[DerailingDaTrain]

For those who don't think that Colbert is being serious and that he is actually out of character you need to search "Colbert out of character" on YouTube and watch an interview he did on The View about his mother and one on MSNBC about his show where he is completely out of character. During both interviews his tone of voice and demeanor is the same as when he said he would vote for Ron and he even repeated to the puppets around him that he was serious and gave them a reason on why. I really don't think it is just what he said though (who supports a president without liking their policies? just because the guy is consistent doesn't mean he says things I like). So in the end I feel that Colbert was for a very brief time out of character and told these idiots how he really feels (He's friends with Jon Stewart who although he is what you guys would call progressive is pissed at Obama for lying). If you've ever seen either of their shows you would know that they make jokes about the type of policies Gingrich, Santorum, and Romney have and constantly rip them on it.

PS One of my favorite recurring jokes on The Colbert Report is when he wants to bring Karl Rove on for an interview and Karl Rove refused so he instead uses the closest thing to him "a ham loaf wearing glasses" and refers to him as Ham Rove. lol

[Ray]

He broke character on show once, when he was saying goodbye to Steve Jobs


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQCDV8eynMA