For my money, the best political-type talk on television isn't on television. It's on the Daily Show website. About once every other week, Jon Stewart has on someone who's of an opposite political mindset and he actually talks to that person. That alone is nearly unique on TV where some shows don't want to unnerve their viewers with alternative viewpoints and only want to bring on dissenting views so their deliverer can be body-slammed and outshouted for the enjoyment of those who hate (or don't want to believe) what he or she says. But Stewart actually talks to these people and what's more, he rarely asks them any of the questions they could have expected or which they've answered so often they have rote answers at the ready. So it's a discussion as opposed to a yelling match or a recital of scripted talking points.
I'm sure many who are invited will not come on with him. Since the last election, his once-frequent guest John McCain won't. Stewart does enjoy home court advantage and has a studio audience full of folks who are Liberals and also big Jon Stewart fans. He's also a charming guy…and one who I think a lot of them envy and respect even if their careers are built on opposing viewpoints. Still, The Daily Show does sell an awful lot of books for any author who comes on and if you think you can conduct yourself with wit and sparkle, it ain't a bad place to show any viewers who might be "gettable" that you're not the stereotyped, Cheneyesque ogre that Republicans are too often assumed to be.
The discussions can and do run long…and lately, rather than have his staff chop them down into highlights (thereby leaving themselves open to the charge of selective editing), Stewart says, "We're outta time but let's keep talking and we'll throw the whole thing up on the website, unedited." If you're not going there and watching them, you're missing some good conversation.
Last week, he had on Representative Eric Cantor, the House minority whip from Virginia…who forgot a fundamental rule authors should remember. Though your publisher may tell you to mention your book at every possible opportunity, after the third mention you look like a bad Home Shopping Network host…and if you're a politician, you look like you're trying to avoid answering a question. But Cantor didn't do a bad job of staying "on message," even though Stewart boxed him in with a few points that he could not deny. I think in the back-and-forth, some differences were brought to light…like the fact that the current G.O.P. leadership is worried about government limiting Americans' freedoms but not the least bit worried about corporations limiting our freedoms.
I've decided to embed the entire interview, starting with the part that aired on Comedy Central…
And then we continue with the first part of the Extended Interview…
And here's the Grand Finale. I won't do this every time Stewart has an intriguing conversation of this sort so you might want to keep an eye on his show's website…