COMMENTARY | Politicians are elected to office to represent their constituents; comedians are self-appointed word troubadours with their fingers on the pulse of the populace. The success of a comedian, both financially and in popularity, is dependent on his ability to say what's on the minds of his audience with a twist of humor. The success of a politician seems to be less dependent on popularity among the people -- and financially, he can depend on a super PAC to succeed, or so says Stephen Colbert.
Should comedy be the venue, the voice of a conscience of a nation? With the general population trying so diligently just to keep their heads above water in these economically difficult times, it stands to reason that most people don't have any time or energy left to wade through the political mumbo jumbo, much less something as supercilious as a super PAC.
Colbert's consideration to run for president, as reported by FoxNews.com, is his tongue-in-cheek method of bringing attention to super PACs. As ABCNews.com explains, the comedian is utilizing his brand of comedy to bring attention to these Supreme Court approved new campaign finance laws that allow anonymous donors to give unlimited funds to what are referred to as the super PACs. The funds can then be used to financially support political candidates -- as long as the super PAC is not directly coordinated with a candidate.
In essence, there is no campaign finance law, or at least very little which Colbert exposed on his Comedy Central show the same night he announced his decision to decide whether to run for president. He turned over his super PAC, formerly known as "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" to fellow comedian and business partner Jon Stewart after first conferring with legal counsel that business partners did not fall under the definition of "direct coordination."
Again, Colbert becomes the teacher and the voice of his fellow Americans who would have the same thoughts on the legitimacy of super PACs -- if they had the time and energy to be aware of their existence. And now they do. The question becomes will Colbert's efforts move the powers-that-be to take appropriate action?
Smack dab in the middle of the baby boomer generation, L.L. Woodard is a proud resident of "The Red Man" state. With what he hopes is an everyman's view of life's concerns both in his state and throughout the nation, Woodard presents facts and opinions based on common-sense solutions.
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