With the recent news that Mike Gravel will not be included in the next debate, it raises an interesting question about Stephen Colbert that earns this week's Friday Look.
One of the reasons cited for not including Gravel in the next debate was that he had poor poll numbers. Well in lieu of the recent news that Colbert is in the race and actually polling ahead of major Democrats (in South Carolina) including Bill Richardson and Dennis Kucinich, we believe that he should be included in the Democratic debate on Tuesday, October 30, in Philadelphia.
We urge everyone to contact MSNBC and state your own personal reason to include Colbert in the debate. Or if you prefer the antiquated telephone, call MSNBC at 201-585-2622 and ask for Political Director Chuck Todd.
But how legitimate of a candidate is he?
Consider the traditional barometers that presidential candidates are measured by: Name ID, organization (online and otherwise), news coverage. Colbert has a higher name ID than many of the mainstream candidates (you could argue as high as fellow candidate and television personality Arthur Branch), he has an online organization, website, get-out-the-message operation that rivals major campaigns, and he has generated A LOT of earned media including interviews on major political talkshows.
Colbert has also proven himself a skilled debater time and again. The number of people he has run logic circles around on his show, Democrat, Republican, media personalilty, author, animal, audience member, cast member, and innocent bystander alike, probably numbers in the hundreds by this point.
Colbert's candidacy, however, has not come without controversy. Comedy Central may be subject to a hefty fine from the FEC for promoting Colbert's candidacy because the free air time his show affords him could be considered an in-kind corporate contribution from Viacom which is illegal under election law. We think the FEC doesn't have a sense of humor.
Colbert needs to be in the debate, if only to throw the other candidates off of their prepackaged message and add a little flavor. And to appeal to MSNBC's self-interest, it would probably be the highest rated debate yet.
In the end, Colbert's candidacy, like Gravel's, was intended to make a "splash" and produce "ripples." He has succeeded in doing that, and he should have one more soap box.
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