Stephen Colbert Credited For Raising Awareness Of DC Vote Effort

Those seeking to end the District of Columbia's vote-less state in the U.S. Congress cleared their highest hurdle last week when the DC House Voting Rights Act passed the Senate, 61-37. The Act is widely favored to prevail in its upcoming House vote, and in conference committee in the days to come. DC's Delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton has become one of the better known faces in the effort, thanks to her hilarious confrontations with Stephen Colbert on the Colbert Report. Last week, after the vote, Politico's Patrick Gavin found Norton, and asked about the effect of her interactions with the Comedy Central host.

After quipping that Colbert would no doubt, "continue to harrass her," Norton offered, "Stephen Colbert has done more than any other single human being to inform the country, which was largely ignorant of the fact that we do not have the vote. I tell my constituents - you don't owe it to me, you don't owe it to DC Vote, you owe it to Colbert. You want to talk about sacrifices I've made, I'll let the man beat up on me anytime he wants to just to get the word out."

(h/t Alex Leo)

[WATCH.]

Comments

[vigwig]

Colbert's got good ratings and intelligent and media savvy viewers, Norton knows that and plays along delightfully with Stephen.
p.s., The Colbert "Bump" is real.

[onenation]

So, this is like a "civil" civil rights march. Beat me (if only for comic effect), but do it on TV and spell my name correctly, if you please. The we will get some action. She plays the staight man in this skit.

[garbacue09]

Steven Colbert beats people up out of love. But Eleanor shouldn't feel creeped out by this; I think this is Steven's way of asking ALL of his guests out on a date.

[fulanita]

She's totally not creeped out by this. Her and Colbert have a littler repertoire going on. She totally gets his shtick and plays along. She's hilarious and always great to see her on the show.

[somefool]

Oh she's def in on the joke. She gets it.

[toddag]

The "Colbert bump" works its magic again.

[TVsFrank]

I LOVE that woman. Her verbal fisticuffs with Colbert have proven her to be one of the few--the very, VERY few--who "get it."

[JumpyJack]

Stephen Colbert should replace Rush Limbaugh.

[alteran]

Does she get that Colbert is joking with her and on her side? I've seen her twice on Colbert, and for the life of me I can't figure out if she gets it or not. This piece isn't convincing me, either, with her saying she's willing to get "beat up" on his show for her cause.

[checkitout]

I think she gets it. She seems more grateful than angry.

[AnRoistac]

She not only gets it, in my opinion, she more than holds her own. She's one of the few who do.

[Huckaboo]

I'm pretty sure she's in on all of Colbert's jokes. It must be difficult to work with Stephen Colbert and his character that he almost never steps out of. No matter how you might respond to these kinds of questions, you're likely to be taken out of context either by him or by people that don't have a clue about the joke. I think she is playing along rather deftly.

[qxav949]

I gleefully anticipate seeing Mr. Colbert engage in a "little self adulation.­" See you @ 11:30 pm, nation.

[SPQR1775]

Now let's us VOTE OUT EVERY DEMOCRAT AND GOP who voted or stand in the way of Black People (97% of DC Residence) and EFCA having the right to VOTE. It is time to hold these paid by lobbyist politicians to the fact that they have not the interest of the people at heart!

[Terry Chouinard]

Now if only its gun amendment can be defeated. Congress quit giving the District trouble it isn't asking for. www.dcvote.org