TelecommuteToJuryDuty

In this unedited, extended interview, Senator Jim DeMint explains why he thinks that federal programs make people dependent on the government.

This is the sort of discourse that happens on a “fake news” show on a comedy network. South Carolina Senator DeMint and Stewart have a fair back and forth, yet as the nearly 30-minute long interview progresses—and regardless of which side you tend to agree with more—it’s hard to deny Stewart’s skill for political discourse as well as the cogency of his questions and of his rebuttals. I highly recommend watching all three parts of the extended interview, as the ground they cover necessitates an arc not capable of being distilled to a sound byte or two.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

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I also recommend the collection of essays, The Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake News. I’ve read the collection a couple of times now and it will deepen your appreciation for not only Stewart, Colbert, and their team of writers and producers, but for satire in general.

From the Back Cover

This book brings together nineteen essays on the many moments of Zen to be found in the artful humor of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Want the real deal on fake news? Want to know how Jon Stewart stacks up against public intellectuals past and present? How The Daily Show hones your critical thinking skills in the war on bad media, bullshit, and political spin? Want to know more about The Daily Show’s philosophy of religion? About what “truthiness” really means? Or how far down Stephen Colbert’s irony goes? It’s all right here. More than just fake news, The Daily Show has achieved an undeniable cultural significance. What better way to plumb its depths than with the razor-sharp, media-savvy minds of our Senior Philosophical Correspondents?