Mel Brooks never made a movie about a presidential election, but if he did it would probably look something like the 2016 race for the White House. From Donald Trump to Deez Nuts, the field is full of characters with big mouths, small brains and ever-improving poll numbers. It’s comedic farce at its most pure.
Trump actually seems to be putting his own spin on the plot of Brooks’ "The Producers" by showing how a candidate can still prove to be unmitigated success despite his own attempt at self-sabotage.
At this point, I’m willing to go all in on this new kind of candidate: the boisterous blowhard who speaks from his gut because he can’t seem to find his heart or his head. Furthermore, I’d like to nominate the king of political punditry for the position of POTUS: Stephen Colbert.
I know. The real Stephen Colbert retired the character Stephen Colbert in December. But these are desperate times. And desperate times call for hilarious measures. Here are three reasons Stephen Colbert should consider a second career as a politician. We need you now more than ever, President Colbert.
His Politics Sneakily Appeal to Everyone
The character of Stephen Colbert is a staunch conservative, but how you gauge his level of sincerity depends entirely on where you fall on the political spectrum. As was reported in a 2014 "Washington Post" article, Colbert’s political leanings are truly in the eye of the beholder. Liberals are more likely to catch the satirical intent in his remarks and assume that the real Stephen Colbert actually believes the opposite. Conservatives, however, are more likely to take Colbert the character at face value and see every statement as an exact reflection of the real Colbert.
I like to call this “The Colbert Conundrum” and it’s the main reason why he would stand a pretty good shot if he ran as an independent candidate. No matter what he says, you can always find a reason to agree with him.
He Wouldn’t Be The First Comedic Politician
Politicians have a reputation for not being very funny, at least not intentionally. Sure, we all have memories of John Kerry’s attempt at windsurfing or Sarah Palin’s failed attempt to recalling any national newspapers, but you have to look a little harder to find a political figure with an actual wit.
Our best current example is undoubtedly current Minnesota senator Al Franken, who was one of the two original writers for "Saturday Night Live." His campaign for a senate seat during the 2008 election was originally seen as a farce, but Franken quickly become one of the most respected, socially progressive members of the senatorial governing body.
In 2012, Colbert actually ran for president as a goof to show how out of control and underhanded campaign fund raising had become. Although he shut down the "Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert" Super PAC before things got out of hand, he and Jon Stewart still managed to raise a million dollars, which was donated to several charities including Habitat for Humanity and the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. How's that for socially progressive?
We’d Take the “Real” Colbert, Too
Without the character, the real Stephen Colbert still has the credentials to be an effective politician — even if he doesn’t pursue the high office of president. His legendary skills as an improviser at Second City and Improv Olympics will certainly make for some entertaining televised debates. Moreover, Colbert is an intelligent, engaging personality who would appeal to the wide base. As The Dig revealed in a recent article, Colbert, who is a devout Catholic, even teaches Sunday school when his busy schedule allows. How many of the other candidates can we say that about? Sure, it seems highly unlikely that he would take on the added responsibility of a political campaign with only a week to go until he takes over for David Letterman on "The Late Show." But we can still dream, can’t we?