There haven’t been any formal announcements, but there are two new independent candidates in the 2016 presidential election: "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon and former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart.
These candidates are so popular the public has already picked their running mates via the time-honored tradition of T-shirt printing. Fallon paired with his partner in crime, pop singer Justin Timberlake. Stewart was matched with his political commentator counterpart, "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert.
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At this time, I would like to make my case for officially endorsing the Fallon/Timberlake campaign.
Honestly, in this day and age we really need a great laugh once in a while. Both Fallon and Timberlake can obviously help with that, as they've shown during their hysterical late night shenanigans. The U.S. also needs someone who is good at hospitably hosting and graciously visiting powerful people.
Fallon’s experience in candid yet productive conversation would be very useful in seducing our allies and even some of our adversaries into critical compromises and deals. He’s also not just a talking head or laughing stock; he knows how to get business done just like he climbed the corporate ladder at NBC, going from "Late Night" to "The Tonight Show" in five years. Not to mention the ratings and viewers he would bring in for watching the State of the Union speech, which would be very entertaining to say the least.
Along with Fallon, Timberlake’s charm would be just as useful as vice president. He would be a powerful and popular name to have at special events and could even provide musical and comedy entertainment. As President of the Senate, he wouldn’t have to do much except sit and look pretty at votes. Trust me, we wouldn’t miss Biden much.
Now, let’s transition as to why I don’t believe Stewart/Colbert is the right fit.
Yes, I understand Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are the only ones who actually have decent political commentary, but let’s take a look at what that has done to help the country. It has educated the public about the realities of politics and the injustices of the government, but it has really pissed off some important politicians.
For example, Stewart and Colbert were excellent journalists when interviewing people like former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), but they were horrible diplomats and politicians, probing and pushing their guests into uncomfortable situations.
As much as they would match and possibly even surpass Fallon and Timberlake on the comedic and talent level, that wouldn’t be enough to uphold the office of President of the United States.
In the end, the country doesn’t need a Democrat or a Republican to run the greatest country in the world. We need someone with a large heart and a sense of humor.
Reach the columnist at abkbundy@gmail.com or follow @abkbundy on Twitter.
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Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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