That really earned the "required" - amazing when he (and his writing staff) go super-granular to show us how deeply funny stuff like Ryan's response really is. Golden.

If the GOP weren't so completely hypocritical and divisive, would there even be a Daily Show for us all to enjoy? I know it started during the Clinton administration, but it didn't really rise above the level of popular to become its current cultural powerhouse until W & Co. started fucking things up left, right and center, providing TDS with an overflowing buffet of material. So maybe we should be thankful the GOP is as awful as it is. Right?

Ha! I'm just kidding. If I have to choose, I'd rather have a functioning society than an entertaining political satire show.

more than six minutes without a goofy voice or bad impression!

Whenever I begin to doubt that the media can't be trusted, Mr. Stewart or Mr. Colbert does one of these.

Sorry, doubt that the media can be trusted. I guess I should've lip synched my post.

@2

I'd actually give credit more to Fox news and its rise to prominence in the TDS era. They directly give the TDS almost as much material and also enable the GOP to get away with their absurdity. There is of course a correlation between the two, and in some ways are one in the same.

It's too bad that conservatives will never see that. The people who watch TDS are already well aware of conservative hypocrisy and lies. Still very funny and astute though.

@6 I know this makes me a jerk, but ...

the TDS is redundant, like "ATM machine" is redundant.

made my day -- thank you!

@8,
The one that really bugs me is "Personal PIN number."

@7 And what exactly would you expect to happen if conservatives did see it? Being open to new ideas, being willing to set aside your brainwashing, your idealogy, your pet hates, your favorite firebrands, and seek truth and fresh opportunity is not exactly a conservative trait.

@9 thats Tridundant.

HA - i was ranting just this morning about GOP "genius" paul ryan not understanding what a straw man was!

Mostly unrelated, but I'm starting to develop kind of a hate-crush on Paul Ryan. He's pretty a good looking guy, especially by Congressional standards, and his beliefs are so heartless that I kind of want to bend him over and make him "take" it like one of the 47%. Just me?

@Daniel_NY: Probably just you, but if you're really into that fantasy, there's a lot of Romney/Ryan erotica out there on Fanfiction.net, or so I hear.

Anyway, I can't help but feel like when Paul Ryan uses a word like "straw man" it's like "oh my goodness, did you just learn a big word???" and pat him on the head. I'm starting to get why dim-bulb conservatives think he's such a genius - but becoming more and more puzzled why anyone who isn't unbelievably stupid thinks that, when his charade is so obvious.