Roll over, Russert: Stewart's got the news

I won't applaud Jon Stewart for soundly eviscerating Bill Bennett on the subject of gay marriage (which he did, btw, politely and with a lot of class), in large part because his huge audience knew he would win, no contest. But I do marvel at the tremendous effectiveness of comedians as pundits. After all, the great ones mastered their craft: timing, wit, speed. As Kung Fu Monkey remarks, "It's almost as if nothing more than a lifetime of performing comedy had honed his ability to make his point clearly, highlight and ridicule the idiocy of his opponents' argument simultaneously, and do so with a simple emotional resonance so effective his opponent is left helpless to respond."

Tim Russert's reputation for "objectivity" is based upon the diligence of his staff, who actually take the trouble to sift through a politican's record for contradictions. In response the politician stammers that he was "taken out of context." Whereupon Russert DROPS THE SUBJECT. If he actually questioned their incoherent jargon, called them on their use of cliches (look to the language, Orwell always said), forced them into retreat, then he would deserve his reputation. Russert however is quite comfortable with this bowdlerization of English, which he happily employs in the presence of his royal court of bloodless geezers (David Broder, E.J. Dionne) and geezers-in-waiting (Jon Meacham, Byron York).

Eliminate the Sunday morning punditocracy, I say. Install Stewart, Margaret Cho, and Stephen Colbert. Newt Gingrich will never glower with such confidence again.