Regarding Anish Mitra's diatribe on "The Daily Show," I find it tragic that Mitra feels "the show's structure makes it painfully evident" that its future will be in jeopardy once Bush is out of office.
I'll give Mitra the benefit of the doubt. She probably has not seen most of the show's episodes, and it might be easy for her to label the show as "a jeering vehicle to attack President Bush." Unfortunately, such an analysis misses the mark on many fronts.
"The Daily Show" is a comedy show more than it is a vehicle of any kind, jeering or otherwise. Stewart and his writers go with what's funny. Their viewership is not the same as a hard news show that has neither the luxury nor the task of making its audience laugh.
With that in mind, Stewart has been quite clear about his debt to Bush for providing him with so much material and hasn't shied away from the fact that he'll miss him.
The show has been funny over the course of the primary season, and I have no doubt that either potential administration will be stuffed full of more jokes to be made.
Therein lies the true missed point: Neither Bush nor the Office of the President is the ultimate target of the satire. It's the American political process itself.
