Thursday, January 19, 2012

NBC's Todd: Colbert 'making a mockery of the system'

NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd admires comedian Stephen Colbert's send-up of super-PACs. But he thinks Colbert, who has declared his candidacy for "President of the United States of South Carolina," is going too far in injecting real-life politics into his own version of reality TV.

Colbert, host of Comedy Central's "Colbert Report," could not get on Saturday's S.C. primary ballot. So he has urged his fans to vote for long-gone candidate Herman Cain in Saturday's S.C. primary as a sort of proxy.

On Friday, he's hosting "The Rock Me Like a Herman Cain: South Cain-olina Primary Rally."

"Look, he's got a shtick," Todd told a Winthrop University audience today. "I admire how he's educated his audience on super-PACs. (But) I think he's making a mockery of the system. Is it fair to the process?"

Todd also took a swipe at the media for playing along. Colbert was a guest on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

"He's trying to marginalize (Republican) candidates and we're helping him," Todd said. WHile he likes the comedy, he added, "I have to admit I'm uncomfortable when it's actually merging into the real world."

Todd was on a panel with CNN's Steve Brusk and Steve Brook of The (Columbia) State discussing media coverage of the 2012 campaign.

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank Heavens Stephen Colbert is educating the rest of us regarding the wide-open evilness of "super PACs"...Chuck Todd and the rest of the media sure haven't!

Anonymous said...

i absolutely agree... when is the media actually going to take on the Super PACs....

if i lived in SC i would absolutely be voting for "Cain"

Anonymous said...

Chuck Todd doesn't get it. The Super PACs are a JOKE and Colbert is proving it. It is laughable that Todd takes this "system" seriously.

Anonymous said...

LMAO! Our system IS a mockery.

DistrictSix said...

Always look behind the curtain.

www.OpenSecrets.org

Anonymous said...

Holy crap Chuck! Don't you see how the system is making a mockery out of us? Chuck is a very smart guy, but when people like him don't call out the system, that just gives undue legitimacy to the system. The way I see it, Comedy Central does more to shine a light on our political shenanigans than MSNBC ever did.

Unknown said...

BwaHaHaHaHa, hey chuck your elevation up has gone to that head, not the first time you're showing it since!! Colbert isn't doing anything that wasn't already known, except by the fox crowd who relish what goes on as they parrot what they're told!! It's called the reality as well as what the tepubs not only brought in but want more of!

Anonymous said...

Sad but Chuck Todd just doesn't get it. Stephen Colbert is showing us how incredible corrupt the system is. Everything he has done is legal and it is really how the system is designed to work. Super PAC are proof positive that the Citizen United ruling has sold U.S. politics to corporations and the rich. Heck since your donors can be totally secret, China, Venezuela, Iran, even North Korea can open a Super PAC and start running political adds.

Anonymous said...

If people like Chuck Todd did a better job of exposing the hypocrisy and systemic corruption within the political process, there wouldn't be a market for satirists like Colbert to mock the system. Gone too far? I think he's just getting started.

Anonymous said...

The NY Times Ombudsman this week described his subjective corporate product as liberal, and yet we want this particular corporation to take on the evilness of Super-PACs? Colbert and Stewart use their corporate product to mock,with a definite liberal bent but other corporations are to be barred? Even when they have a serious point to be made? Absolute silliness. Put it all out there and let the people decide, this love of a government gate-keeper on political speech is an embarassment.

Anonymous said...

Duh!!! That's his ENTIRE point, "making a mockery of the system." That seems to be the only way anyone can see how entirely screwed up it is.

Anonymous said...

"Is it fair to the process?" he asks??? Really?? A hell of a lot more fair than those who are actually using the corrupt system for their own gain.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Todd, I think you stand alone on this issue. We're all pretty happy with Colbert exposing how the system works. He's managed to pull off an incredible expose that no other news organization has been able to pull off yet. God bless Colbert.

Anonymous said...

Colbert is doing what Chuck Todd and his corporate buddies refuse to do. Todd should be ashamed of his defense of the network monkeys that go along with the lies and corrupt practices of the political machines. Todd is making a mockery of our political system who sits back and collects all of those millions of dollars for spreading the GOP's lies.

Anonymous said...

The system is a mockery of itself. More and more people recognize hat pur vote is really nota matter of choice. Obama is no less a part of the existing status quo than Newt Gingrich. They all essentially work for Israel.

Anonymous said...

Colbert is defrocking the criminal elite,Todd ought to be hung in town square for defending them

Anonymous said...

I always thought that Chuck was a closet repub. Super Pacs are evil and will destroy our country if not repealed.

Anonymous said...

Chuck has always taken himself way too seriously. He is no Tim Russert!

Anonymous said...

Chuck Todd, bah.

Colbert is artfully and hilariously exposing the foul rot of our political system for all to see.

Thank you, Stephen Colbert.

Tim R said...

Colbert's actions are absolutely "unfair to the process". Doesn't he know his job is just to talk about "the process", not to actually do something about it? You tell him Chuck.

Anonymous said...

if it was a good system it would be unmockable. media, super PACS, corporate donations, lobbyists, the corporate/congress fleecing of the people.

Anonymous said...

Lighten-up Chucky boy. The only mockery here is the phony republican candidates. God help us all if by some fluke Willard or Newtie were to become President. Thank goodnes that ain't gonna happen. The President is going to get his 4 MORE YEARS.

Anonymous said...

Is someone going to highlight how corrupt the union run system and how they bilk billions from we the tax payers and funnel back right back into the party of poverty? Probably not. And thank goodness we have a 2 bit "comedian" "educating" the masses. Some of you are right, he is making a mockery of the dumbed down electorate.

And to the last poster if you think Obamao is going to win again, I have some land to sell.

Anonymous said...

wait til he finds out where the pope lives and bears poop

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I'm thinking that politicians have made more of a mockery of politics than any comedian EVER has.

Anonymous said...

Colbert is showing just how powerful a corporation can be in the political process. He is exposing how politics is no longer truly representative of the people, but solely big money that is untraceable

Anonymous said...

Frankly, it would be great if Colbert actually became a real candidate. He has shown with what he is doing that he is the smartest one out there. I hope "Herman Cain" wins the SC primary by a landslide. Turn the whole process on its head. It's time it was replaced with something else.

JR said...

Why is it the only people against what he's doing have the same response, "But he's a liberal!" .. Liberal or not, he's exposing a truly corrupt system with little oversight, clarity, and accountability. Why do his personal politics matter?

Anonymous said...

Obama 2008 outspent McCain 2008 and Bush 2004 combined by a wide margin and did so by being the first candidate to reject public money despite his earlier pledge? Was Colbert so incensed by that?
Again, you hear catch phrases about "educating" but no specifics, because there are none. Super-PACS actually have tougher disclosure requirements than 501's and 527's, where Soros and others poured millions in long before SpeechNow.

Anonymous said...

Panty waisted liberal weenie desperate for ratings. Spongebob gets better ratings than this fairy.

Anonymous said...

What's the matter, Chuck? Afraid the voting public will clean out the political system and you will no longer be such an expert on politics?

Anonymous said...

Candidates for public office should be forced to campaign, and debate, in the nude.

Anonymous said...

When can we expect Colbert to lampoon Obama for using the White House for non stop campaigning and fundraising since Day 1? Sorry, the one sided "comedy" bit gets old.

Anonymous said...

Yo dudes. It was 100% corrupt for yo boy Obama too and still is. Politics is politics. Its a dirty business and only the worse scum of the earth are involved in it. Its all about $$$$$$ ... dumbasses... always is always has and always will be. Deal with it. It it what it is.

Anonymous said...

I'll be voting for Cain in NMB Saturday, just to stick it to this wonderful system of "honest" representation. I would take a car (thank Dog I have my picture ID!) load of other white folks to the polls with me but most of those in Horry County are blinded-by-the-"white"-Republicans; I realize that's a rather broad brush I'm using but not by much. This beach community is loaded with retired military types who fought for my right to free speech but will now brand me a traitor for using that right. Gotta love it!

Anonymous said...

To anonymous at 9:01.....you ought to be bitch-slapped for that comment,saying someone should be hung for not doing what you want!

Anonymous said...

whos the weak piece of shit censoring truthful posts at 5:49am?

wouldnt you love to beat the fuck out of hi f him face to face?

pussyass mother fuckhead wimp probably takes it up the wazoo every night from his twinkboy

Anonymous said...

Todd needs to step away from the Corporate Lunch Counter and concentrate on providing the public new analyticat information. The Problem is that The Major Media is as corrupt as the SuperPacs in providing Real Information.

Anonymous said...

Is someone going to highlight how corrupt the union run system and how they bilk billions from we the tax payers ????? Please explain how Unions bilk taxpayers???? That is one that I have never heard...

Anonymous said...

Isn't making a mockery of politics the entire point of his show? Why is Todd surprised. Maybe he should watch the folks on his network's "news" channel if he wants to see people mocking politics.

Yamo said...

The Republican candidates in this election and hundreds of former and current elected officials have already made our government and the "democratic" process a mockery. There is nothing Colbert can do to make it any more so.

Anonymous said...

It isn't surprising that we would have some linthead bring the union, which union I don't know, into the conversation. But in this part of the country, you can expect that.

Anonymous said...

Todd is just a tool of the corporate media world who are used to giving you the news that they want you to have. Todd can spin it with the best of them. This little right winger will end up on Fox News before long.

Anonymous said...

Colbert is brilliant. He gave us an opportunity to voice our displeasure with the current slate of candidates and vote for "none of the above"

As for Todd, after last nights debate he should be questioning the credibility of the media. How in the world can someone make Gingrich a sympathetic figure.

Absolutely ridiculous

Anonymous said...

Really Chuck? How about doing your job and reporting on the real SuperPACs?

And Chuck, don't blame the messenger. We gave him the money. The only SuperPAC I know about with a face.

What a coward, it's afer to go after a comedian than the SuperPACs that are truly making a "mockery of the system". They do pretty much what Colbert does. Except maybe the running for president of the United States of South Carolina, most of them don't do that.

Anonymous said...

Chuck gets it, what he's not saying is how "proud the supreme justices should feel" their insightful brilliance gave us Citizens United
go figure...

Anonymous said...

Poor Chuck, he's the one that doesn't get it and even worse, what does it say when some of the best political analysis is coming from The Daily Show & The Colbert Report? The networks, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and all the rest don't do nearly the job that Stewart & Colbert often do & ask harder questions and call BS when it's appropriate.

Anonymous said...

COLBERT SUX. NOT FUNNY. NOT ENTERTAINING. JUST SHUT THE PHUCK UP. CRAWL BACK INTO YOUR HOLE !!!

Anonymous said...

Colbert is actually trying to teach you what a tool many hardcore Republicans are, super-pacs are just a by-product.

Anonymous said...

Must be a Republican...

Anonymous said...

Better get ready to put up some land! Only a couple more months before you eat those words!

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