Stewart Blasts Media Coverage Of Debates, "Gloves Off" Politics, And The "Race Card"

Last night on "A Daily Show," Jon Stewart took the media to task for over-hyping "gloves off" politics. In particular, he blasted his one of his favorite targets, Chris Matthews (about 1:30 in), for dramatizing Tuesday night's debate with phrases like "let's talk fight talk" and "will there be an upper cut?" But, as he shows, CNN, Fox, and about a year's worth of commentators have been using the "gloves off" terminology to describe the Clinton-Obama race:

Of course, "gloves off" isn't the only media trope Stewart blasted last night. He also lambasted the media's reliance on the "race card" storyline playing out in the Democratic primary:

Comments

[eladora]

Day 1 in the nations White House: Obama surrounded by Colin Powell, Joe Biden, John Edwards.

Hillary cant win the general. Love her but she wont win.

Obama/ Edwards 08

[OhgReaTone]

Chris Matthews can dish it out but he sure can't take it. His bragging about how tough he is has become gagging. But the world is catching up with the bigot.
Ohg
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/01/20/chris-matthews-is-under-siege/

[chrismathewsgreatestfan]

It's easy for a comedian like Jon to sit back and mock public figures. However, I look at Jon as more than a comedian. I think he has the power to really enlighten his viewers about politics and the games that are played and wish he would stop wasting time with his personal vendetta against Chris. There is so much more out there Jon can bring to the surface rom his unique prospective.

[bobo6]

kevinabt is mistaken when he claims that the administration of Social Security is inefficient. Does he know that the administrative costs for insurance companies is anywhere from 15 to 20 percent whereas Social Security cost run about 1 to 2 percent.Largely because the overhead of overpaid management and having to increase stockholder equity.If you turn over one of the most successful programs ever devised in this Country to private companies you will quikly experience a radical drop in benefits and a rapid rise in costs.

[transendentilist]

Keep raking the muck, Jon. There's a shitload of muck and so few rakes.

[johnnyjust]

Gee, Jon, let me hep you to somethin'.

The media...sorry, "medium" (they can aspire, like yourself, to achieving no greater heights)...is in the business, at times, of reporting the news. Unfortunately, this time they're reporting on the Democratic race and using the same jargon that has been used for years. Jabbed here, counter-punched there. A few more years experience under your belt and I might not have to explain the basics to you.

That was known as a kick in the balls. And believe me, the target being so small it was a lucky kick.

[OhPlease2007]

Yeah, the joke is on every single news outlet that helped to disseminate the idiotic race-bating war between Hillary -&- Obama. And that includes, HuffPost!

I LOVE JON STEWART!!!

[VivaZapata]

reading these posts makes me realize how far we've come from understanding the need for union principles. scabbing is not excusable under any circumstances. if you cross a picket line, you are a scab and in the great labor chain of history, you are a broken link. these over paid personalities have gone back for one reason only and have compromised their souls for the sake of their accounts. they can all go to hell as far as i'm concerned. fame does not make them good.

fame is such a fickle food

upon a shifting plate

emily dickenson

[GoodwithWood]

This was hilarious. Give him credit for still being mostly funny without his writers. This was good but he can’t keep it up alone.

[RedForman]

Anybody notice that the Directors Guild was able to reach a deal with the studios. It's been awfully quiet around here about the Writers.

What hypocrites the Libs are here worshipping Stewart, when only a couple of weeks ago, they were trashing Leno.

Your boy Jon crossed the line.

[Enzien]

Dudes...when are the writers going to return? This stuff is lame.

[johnmorgan]

Remember when Clinton's surgeon general said that children should be taught about masturbation, and she was hounded out of office for it?

But when a Republican equates homosexuality and bestiality, he gets away with it, and in this case, even gets to run for president! Go figure.

[MinerSam]

What is so dangerous about Psychological Abuser Mathews is that he and Tim Russert (who recently trashed Social Security the Bush way) Are at the top of a Waterfall, a food chain..

...A Cascade of Erroneous assertions about the Democratic Frontrunners from Senator Kerry to Senator Clinton.

Hitler and his "Architect" Goebbles discovered to their delight, that if you repeated lies over and over again, that people will believe that they are true.

Their demonization of one citizen group against another (much like the Republicans consistantly do) was at the root of the Holocaust.

Today we have the Tim Russerts of the world repeating Republican Talking Points...and all the reporters and Talking Heads relying him and on Chris Mathews (who is only about 30-40% accurate)..and repeating his lies over and over and over again, in his attacks against the Democratic Frontrunner.

Mathews gets self hating women to attack Senator Clinton on his show....but this is only a part of the Psychological Abuse of this no nuance alchoholic.

This is no different from how he gave the Swiftboat Liars for the War in Vietnam tens of billions in free adverstising over a 35 day period...

Today the results of his erroneousness and lies, has reached far and wide....

And we have an electorate too busy working to know what the hell is going on. As evidenced by the trashers of Senator Clinton on this very boar.

=A highly informed person, who trusts Hillary Clinton with my life!

[mamacita]

I'm so disappointed in Jon--the heckler from the audience and the looks on the faces of Russert, Williams, and the Three were just priceless!

[Stanley]

Jon Stewart you be da man! Thanks for cutting through the shit.