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Last week, Stephen Colbert surprised the nation with his announcement that he would be pursuing the presidency of the United States.
On his TV show, “The Colbert Report,” the host/comedian informed viewers that he would be running only in his home state of South Carolina, under the classification of “favorite son”.
Colbert has set up his official campaign Web site, which allows users to view a five-minute video clip of his announcement. Users can also download a petition to gather 20 signatures to help get Colbert on the ballot for the South Carolina primary, scheduled for January.
Colbert previously stated that he intended to run on the ballot in South Carolina as both a Democrat and a Republican, a decision that he said allows him to “lose twice”.
Colbert does face issues in South Carolina. He has until Nov. 1 to register for the primary. According to a New York Times story, Colbert needs either $2,500 or 3,000 petition signatures to register as a Democrat for the primary. To register as a Republican, Colbert would need to post a $35,000 fee.
Also, on a fan Web site operated by Comedy CentralColbert Nation, fans can vote on a poll that asks who would make the best running-mate for Colbert. The choices are Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., Russian President Vladmir Putin, “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, no runnningmate, or of course … Stephen Colbert. As of 3 p.m. Oct. 24, Stewart was the leading vote-getter, with Colbert in second.
Colbert’s popularity skyrocketed when “The Colbert Report” debuted in 2005. Since then, it’s been one of the highest rated shows in late-night TV and spawned several fan sites, including Wikitality, a spin-off of contemporary encyclopedia Wikipedia using many of Colbert’s personal lingo.
Colbert has the number one bestseller for non-fiction books with his recent release, “I Am America (And So Can You!).”
Colbert furthered his candidacy by appearing on “Meet the Press” with Tim Russert on Oct. 21. The conversation varied from Colbert’s views on retired Americans, his views on Iraq, his views on gay marriage, and the actual purpose of his candidacy in South Carolina.
“I don’t want to be president. I want to run for president. There’s a difference,” Colbert told Russert.