His running is likely no more than a self-promoting stunt by a man who plays on Republican smugness and gall by acting like a narcissistic egomaniac every night on television. Whether or not he’s serious, however, he plans to go the distance. The endlessly sarcastic talk show host plans to run only in his home state of South Carolina as a “favorite son” of the state, and he plans to register as both a Republican and a Democrat. It’s legal for him to do so, but at a price: it will only cost Colbert $2,500 to run as a Democratic, but $35,000 to have his name on the Republican ballot.
Colbert has the unique advantage of being able to use his show for political leverage, exposing the weak points and contradictions of his competitors in the same comically biting way he has for the two years his show has aired. Various presidential hopefuls have been guests on The Colbert Report, arguably the most entertaining talk show on television. He is in a position to mock all candidates equally, bringing humor and levity to what has so far been a dry, humorless contest. No matter the outcome, Colbert is unlikely to suffer any fallout in popularity by running; it fits his personality to a T.Tagged:
