Satire for the CNN dork

He is Hollywood's Golden Boy of Late Night. He is the source of national and international news for millions of college and high school students. He is a respected news man, with no background in news whatsoever. He is the incomparable Jon Stewart.

As the Democratic primaries begin to come in swarms after the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, expect the ratings for Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart to soar higher than ever before. Stewart and his motley crew of smarmy commentators attack the political world with an acerbic wit that is unparalleled in today's television media.

By taking real news stories and giving them humorous spins, The Daily Show has many elements of the Saturday Night Live "Weekend Update" feature, except Stewart and his writers are leaps and bounds better than the woefully inconsistent and unfunny Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon. Each edition of the show has Stewart rattling off hilarious headlines, often with interspersed and bizarre features/interviews showcasing one of the Daily Show's talented correspondents.

Stephen Colbert and Rob Corddry have been doing the heavy lifting as of late, and are therefore two of the brighter stars on the Daily Show cast roster. As a tag-team duo, they have done an impressive and remarkable job covering the pursuit for the Democratic Presidential nomination, or what they call the "Race From the White House." Their constant ridicule of all the candidates, from Dennis Kucinich to then poll-leader Howard Dean to current front-runner John Kerry, is a welcome change from both the stifled coverage on network news stations and the libelous sneering on Fox News Channel.

Yet thankfully, their commentary reaches beyond the solely political realm. Stewart and company spend as much time mocking the media itself as the subjects that the media portrays. The interview with Howard Dean ridiculing Diane Sawyer's "Why are you so angry?" interview was high comedy, especially since Dean was in on the joke. At the New Hampshire Primary, Rob Corddry interviewed, to great comedic effect, many of the talking heads that were themselves covering the election, including MSNBC's Brian Williams.

It used to be that one of the great running gags on the show was abusing people into thinking that The Daily Show was an actual news program. The cost of celebrity is that now, very few can be duped. Not that the notoriety has been too detrimental to the show's success; without it, Dean would never have parodied himself with angry and vicious "subconscious" thoughts.

Rob Corddry would also never have been able to get the press access at the New Hampshire primary if the Daily Show were not regaled as a news resource for many young voters. While the wisdom of having a mock news show act in this capacity is not great, at least the nation's youth is paying attention to some news. In fact, with Stewart speaking as the voice of a jaded populace, cynical after Clinton's lies and Bush's tight-lipped administration, he might even be able to reach out and convince these same younger viewers to act on their opinions and vote.

And in a refreshing take, Jon Stewart seems incredibly humbled by all the recent attention heaped upon his deserving shoulders. After winning an Emmy and being plastered on the cover of Newsweek's special year-end edition, Stewart is bound for greater roles than Comedy Central's 11 PM entertainer. The late night stage boded well for Stewart's predecessor, Craig Kilborn, who now has the late, late night slot on CBS. Yet Stewart is exponentially funnier and has the best comedic timing of any of his competition. Better than Jay Leno's smack-on-the head blunt style, and better than Letterman's self-deprecating cackling, and unmistakably better than Jimmy Kimmel's immature boorishness.

It's doubtful that if (more like when) Stewart moves up to the higher ranks of late night that he'll be able to keep the content of the Daily Show controversial and political. Until then, enjoy this unfair and constantly biased news program on Comedy Central.