Stewart: Bracing for the lake effect

StarTribune.com
Stewart: Bracing for the lake effect

Jon Stewart, making his first appearance in the Twin Cities, offers a few moments of Zen.

By Neal Justin, Star Tribune
5/17/07

If there's any doubt that the political season is underway in Minnesota, consider Friday's visit by Jon Stewart. In addition to honing his stand-up chops -- which he does with a gig every month -- the comic is making his first trip to the Twin Cities to learn the lay of the land for 2008, when his award-winning program, "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," will air live during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Stewart chatted about the Midwest, the presidential campaign and Mr. T this week from his Manhattan office.

Q Why haven't you been to Minnesota before?
A I'm allergic to lakes. I hear you have over 10,000. Five thousand I could probably handle, but 10,000? That's too much. Of course, with global warming, maybe you'll be down to 300 or 400 by next year.

Q As you prepare for next year's convention, where do you place Minnesota in importance during the 2008 elections?
A It's near Canada. Or Michigan. Probably closer to Michigan. The conventions always serve as a narrative for each political party. When the Republicans were here in New York last time, they were saying, "We're here to save you from the terrorists." Now they no longer want to save the East Coast. They've moved on to the Midwest.

Q There's a potentially hot battle here between Al Franken and Norm Coleman.
A Let's be clear on something: Any election involving Norm Coleman would not qualify as hot.

(snip)

Q What do you say to people who think you've become less of a comic and more of a liberal advocate?
A I don't usually meet those people. We've always done a show that reacts to current events and puts them through the comedic lens. People seem to think it's pretty funny until you make a joke about something they care about. Then they no longer think you're funny. I don't really care what side of the aisle competency comes from. I'd just like to see some.

(snip)

Q A recent study shows that more young adults watch "The Daily Show" than catch any of the network news programs. Does that thrill you or scare you?
A I don't give much thought to those kind of studies. Kids today are so savvy with the amount of information in front of them. There's a lot more digestion of the news and I would consider ourselves to be part of that digestive process.

(snip)

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