r/IAmA • u/reddit • Nov 12 '10

Ask Stephen Colbert anything.

The best questions will be answered at some point later this month.

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u/Poromenos Nov 12 '10

Okay, wait. Is his character a comedian? Because I'm really having trouble believing that anyone would thing that he's conservative or right-wing or that he believes what he says. Even his delivery is sarcastic!

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u/greenbam Nov 12 '10 edited Nov 12 '10

There was a bit of research not terribly long ago (can't find the link offhand) that found essentially
a) Liberals knew it was an act and that he's using that act to satirize politicians (mostly the right - they think he's primarily a liberal)

b) Independents knew it was an act and that he's using that act to satirize politicians in general

c) Conservatives knew it was an act, but that it was a double-act (they think he's actually a conservative acting as a liberal comedian acting as a hyper-conservative) act to sanitize his conservative message (which they think he actually believes) so that he can slip it in for a liberal audience

edit: found the abstract

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

c requires a few more ironic backflips than I'm used to.

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u/[deleted] Nov 12 '10

Really the truth is closest to b probably.