More Jon Stewart Fun

The Poor Man has juiciest tidbits from Jon's appearance on Crossfire.

STEWART: No, no, no, no, that would be great. To do a debate would be great. But that's like saying pro wrestling is a show about athletic competition.




CARLSON: Jon, Jon, Jon, I'm sorry. I think you're a good comedian. I think your lectures are boring.




STEWART: Yes.




CARLSON: Let me ask you a question on the news.




STEWART: Now, this is theater. It's obvious. How old are you?




CARLSON: Thirty-five.




STEWART: And you wear a bow tie.




CARLSON: Yes, I do. I do.




STEWART: So this is...




CARLSON: I know. I know. I know. You're a...




STEWART: So this is theater.




CARLSON: Now, let me just...




CARLSON: Now, come on.




STEWART: Now, listen, I'm not suggesting that you're not a smart guy, because those are not easy to tie.




CARLSON: They're difficult.




STEWART: But the thing is that this -- you're doing theater, when you should be doing debate, which would be great.




BEGALA: We do, do...




STEWART: It's not honest. What you do is not honest. What you do is partisan hackery. And I will tell you why I know it.




CARLSON: You had John Kerry on your show and you sniff his throne and you're accusing us of partisan hackery?




STEWART: Absolutely.




CARLSON: You've got to be kidding me. He comes on and you...




STEWART: You're on CNN. The show that leads into me is puppets making crank phone calls.




STEWART: What is wrong with you?




CARLSON: Well, I'm just saying, there's no reason for you -- when you have this marvelous opportunity not to be the guy's butt boy, to go ahead and be his butt boy. Come on. It's embarrassing.




STEWART: I was absolutely his butt boy. I was so far -- you would not believe what he ate two weeks ago.




STEWART: You know, the interesting thing I have is, you have a responsibility to the public discourse, and you fail miserably.




CARLSON: You need to get a job at a journalism school, I think.




STEWART: You need to go to one.




The thing that I want to say is, when you have people on for just knee-jerk, reactionary talk...




CARLSON: Wait. I thought you were going to be funny. Come on. Be funny.




STEWART: No. No. I'm not going to be your monkey.




BEGALA: Go ahead. Go ahead.




STEWART: I watch your show every day. And it kills me.




CARLSON: I can tell you love it.




STEWART: It's so -- oh, it's so painful to watch.




STEWART: You know, because we need what you do. This is such a great opportunity you have here to actually get politicians off of their marketing and strategy.




CARLSON: Is this really Jon Stewart? What is this, anyway?




STEWART: Yes, it's someone who watches your show and cannot take it anymore.




STEWART: I just can't.




CARLSON: What's it like to have dinner with you? It must be excruciating. Do you like lecture people like this or do you come over to their house and sit and lecture them; they're not doing the right thing, that they're missing their opportunities, evading their responsibilities?




STEWART: If I think they are.




CARLSON: I wouldn't want to eat with you, man. That's horrible.




STEWART: I know. And you won't. But the thing I want to get to...




...




CARLSON: Jon, you're bumming us out. Tell us, what do you think about the Bill O'Reilly vibrator story?




STEWART: I'm sorry. I don't.




CARLSON: Oh, OK.




STEWART: What do you think?




BEGALA: Let me change the subject.




STEWART: Where's your moral outrage on this?




CARLSON: I don't have any.




STEWART: I know.




BEGALA: Which candidate do you suppose would provide you better material?




STEWART: I'm sorry?




BEGALA: Which candidate do you suppose would provide you better material if he won?




STEWART: Mr. T. I think he'd be the funniest. I don't...




BEGALA: Don't you have a stake in it that way, as not just a citizen, but as a professional comic?




STEWART: Right, which I hold to be much more important than as a citizen.




BEGALA: Well, there you go.




BEGALA: But who would you provide you better material, do you suppose?




STEWART: I don't really know. That's kind of not how we look at it. We look at, the absurdity of the system provides us the most material. And that is best served by sort of the theater of it all, you know, which, by the way, thank you both, because it's been helpful.




CARLSON: But, if Kerry gets elected, is it going to -- you have said you're voting for him. You obviously support him. It's clear. Will it be harder for you to mock his administration if he becomes president?




STEWART: No. Why would it be harder?




CARLSON: Because you support...




STEWART: The only way it would be harder is if his administration is less absurd than this one. So, in that case, if it's less absurd, then, yes, I think it would be harder.




But, I mean, it would be hard to top this group, quite frankly.


(snip)




STEWART: You know what's interesting, though? You're as big a dick on your show as you are on any show.




CARLSON: Now, you're getting into it. I like that.




STEWART: Yes.




CARLSON: OK. We'll be right back.

God, I miss cable.