THE BLOGOSPHERE EXPLODES – Colbert ‘08 Edition

Everybody and their blog is talking about the announcement today. Here’s a special gathering of some of the more notable mentions of Stephen’s big election announcement last night.

We’ll be watching very closely for evidence of the audience report that Colbert will be filing papers today in South Carolina. The most interesting piece of information today, however comes from the “Crave” blog from cNet.com:

Stephen Colbert announces presidential bid, but is it the truth or truthiness?

Neither Comedy Central nor Colbert’s personal publicist have issued statements on whether the comedian will actually attempt to get on the ballot, which has left many–including South Carolina’s major political parties–on the edge as to whether the announcement should be taken seriously.

“If Stephen fulfills the requirements met in our delegates’ election plan and he actively campaigns in South Carolina, we welcome him to compete,” said Joe Werner, executive director of the South Carolina Democratic Party, in an interview with CNET News.com. Werner added that representatives from The Colbert Report had placed calls to the state party’s headquarters several weeks ago but that the party thought it was all a joke at the time.

Fulfilling the requirements, however, will be the tough part. Party regulations, Werner said, prevent Colbert from attempting to run on both the Democratic and Republican tickets. “It’s in our rules somewhere that you can’t be on two ballots,” he explained. “He’d have to pick one party.”

Representatives from the South Carolina Republican Party were not readily available for comment.

At 43, Stephen Tyrone Colbert would be the youngest contender in the major parties’ candidate roster. (Barack Obama is 46.) Colbert would additionally be the first presidential candidate to be banned from Wikipedia (which, ironically, has named his buzzword “truthiness” as its article of the day for October 17), have a mass-market ice cream flavor named after him, and have an extensive repertoire of YouTube videos in which he prances around with a Star Wars lightsaber. Currently, he’s riding high on the bestseller lists with his book ‘I Am America, And So Can You!’

Full text of blog post

Here is more buzz from the blogosphere this morning:

• Stephen Colbert announces candidacy to become President of South Carolina – AfterElton.com: “He also has yet to pick a running mate … may I suggest Jerri Blank? Or Brian Williams?”
• Stephen Colbert Is Running For President – OliverWillis.com: “As a nation we tapped our shoes on his, and Stephen Colbert responded by running his hands along the bottom of the stall. Metaphorically speaking. I think.”
• Stephen Colbert Officially Announces Run for White House! – Editor & Publisher: “Colbert said that he would at least make a big effort in South Carolina. The largest public TV network in that state had told E&P last week that it would be happy to allow him to launch his campaign at its studios.”
• Colbert is ‘no Ronald Reagan,’ says Obama campaign – Politico.com: “Obama spokesman Bill Burton responds: “As Rudy Giuliani would say, he’s no Ronald Reagan.”"
• Stephen Colbert to Play South Carolina Spoiler – Wonkette.com: “As probably a few of you saw on last night’s ‘Colbert Report’, Stephen Colbert announced his candidacy for president in the South Carolina primary. In other news, Stephen Colbert has a new book that he is trying to sell.”
• Stephen Colbert for president – PopWatch (EW.com): ” Normally, we at EW would be opposed to this move — if he gets elected, what will happen to his show? That’s too great a sacrifice for us to sanction, even if Colbert’s leadership would benefit the American people. Fortunately, this is Colbert we’re talking about; if the guy can debate himself, as he does occasionally on his show, then he can run the country and still find time to do ‘The Colbert Report’ every night. Godspeed, Stephen.”
• Stephen Colbert for President: Brilliant Programming, Politically Essential – Schreiner’s Media Landscape: “Humor has a beautifully natural way of getting people to see things in perspective, unclouded by partisanship, hysteria and flag-waving. “
• Stephen Colbert is running for President – Daily Kos: “On the other hand though, Stephen Colbert running for president is full on social and political satire and also a giant publicity stunt. Colbert is a genius, I mean, making him President isn’t really worse then what we have now is it?”

• Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – March 13, 2010
• Stephen Colbert in the Zeitgeist – March 3, 2010
• Please don’t sue us – An open letter to Tony Fox, PR rep for Viacom
• Eye Candy: Stephen Colbert at Christ Child Society’s Great Gatsby Gala