![Mike Huckabee [The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 12.09.08]: With all the talk of Jay and 10 p.m. and spanking new ideas like JayTalkers and replacing the band with Rock-afire Explosion, I’m thinking about Jon Stewart. Mostly because I tried to watch The Tonight Show yesterday and couldn’t. The Daily Show is still the most consistently funny late night show (granted: lead is dwindling post-election). But if Jon was to take over The Late Show in 2010 (or 2012), he would need to talk to stars. Jon is not good at talking to stars: inside joke, Big Daddy joke, awkwardly laughing at something the star said that’s not funny, out. The best Daily Show interviews are the confrontational ones, where Jon can barely look the guest in the eye as if to say, “I know this is a fun show and maybe you didn’t expect this but I really hate your book/politics/sense of self and I don’t feel like hiding it, sorry.” This Mike Huckabee interview was one of those. Huckabee is promoting a book all about how people should be nice to each other. And he doesn’t think gay people should have the right to get married. This is a conflict that Huckabee doesn’t acknowledge, but it bothers Jon Stewart. A lot. “At what age did you decide not to be gay?” isn’t an applause line, really. It’s a shake-some-sense line. And I can see why Jon’s pressing here—Huckabee seems like a decent guy who can understand reason. “Seems” being the keyword. It’s sad how Huckabee is totally oblivious to the fact that he’s on the wrong side of history, and I think Jon wanted to plant that seed, basically. If so, he did a good, polite job. The preaching to the choir aspect was (relatively) muted. And, of course, Huckabee’s game. It was just uncomfortable enough. But this can’t be his go-to schitck for 11:30 on a network. Dave claims to be dumb, but it’s only half true; his intelligence lies in experience, and he makes it work. Jon is more of a nerd. Which is great. For Comedy Central. At 11. Elsewhere? Not so great. A-](http://25.media.tumblr.com/L8H9zWHTihba0912yqrWkPQBo1_500.jpg)
Mike Huckabee [The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, 12.09.08]: With all the talk of Jay and 10 p.m. and spanking new ideas like JayTalkers and replacing the band with Rock-afire Explosion, I’m thinking about Jon Stewart. Mostly because I tried to watch The Tonight Show yesterday and couldn’t. The Daily Show is still the most consistently funny late night show (granted: lead is dwindling post-election). But if Jon was to take over The Late Show in 2010 (or 2012), he would need to talk to stars. Jon is not good at talking to stars: inside joke, Big Daddy joke, awkwardly laughing at something the star said that’s not funny, out. The best Daily Show interviews are the confrontational ones, where Jon can barely look the guest in the eye as if to say, “I know this is a fun show and maybe you didn’t expect this but I really hate your book/politics/sense of self and I don’t feel like hiding it, sorry.” This Mike Huckabee interview was one of those.
Huckabee is promoting a book all about how people should be nice to each other. And he doesn’t think gay people should have the right to get married. This is a conflict that Huckabee doesn’t acknowledge, but it bothers Jon Stewart. A lot. “At what age did you decide not to be gay?” isn’t an applause line, really. It’s a shake-some-sense line. And I can see why Jon’s pressing here—Huckabee seems like a decent guy who can understand reason. “Seems” being the keyword. It’s sad how Huckabee is totally oblivious to the fact that he’s on the wrong side of history, and I think Jon wanted to plant that seed, basically. If so, he did a good, polite job. The preaching to the choir aspect was (relatively) muted. And, of course, Huckabee’s game. It was just uncomfortable enough. But this can’t be his go-to schitck for 11:30 on a network. Dave claims to be dumb, but it’s only half true; his intelligence lies in experience, and he makes it work. Jon is more of a nerd. Which is great. For Comedy Central. At 11. Elsewhere? Not so great. A-
