Outside the Beltway

Will Stewart Rally Democratic Enthusiasm?

Some Democrats believe the Jon Stewart - Stephen Colbert rally this weekend will serve as a get-out-the-vote drive.

James Joyner · Thursday, October 28, 2010 · 3 comments

Some Democrats believe the Jon Stewart – Stephen Colbert rally this weekend will serve as a get-out-the-vote drive.

Democrats are looking to a pair of comedians to do what President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton and dozens of other leaders haven’t done yet this election season: Get party members excited about voting.

Comedy Central television hosts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert expect tens of thousands of fans to join them at the “Rally to Restore Sanity” in Washington Oct. 30, three days before congressional elections across the U.S. The president will appear on “The Daily Show” tonight in his first visit to Stewart’s program since he was elected.

“It will be a great chance to rally the base, especially among young people,” said Curtis Gans, director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University in Washington. “For Stewart, sanity is a code word for Democratic.”

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said yesterday Obama is going on Stewart’s show because it “reaches an audience that isn’t watching cable television every day, or the nightly newscasts, but they’re probably going to participate in this election.”

The story appeared yesterday; Obama’s appearance has already aired.

I’m actually quite skeptical of this.  Stewart’s audience, which includes myself and several other OTB writers, consists almost entirely of educated people with a strong enough interest in politics to care about it months away from an election. These people don’t need much spur to vote; it’s just what they do.

To the extent that it will energize voting, though, it’s an interesting contrast to the big Glenn Beck rally on August 28 that was its inspiration. Certainly, three days before an election is better timing than nine weeks before.