You know it's been a shaky year for political coverage on TV when the smartest commentary on both politics and the media comes from Comedy Central.

But this fall's coverage began with the ironically named Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and moved swiftly, as it were, to the "60 Minutes" notorious faux Texas National Guard documents. Since then TV news has swung eagerly from the ludicrous (President Bush's debate bulges) to the absurd (John Kerry's supposed "outing" of Mary Cheney).

Now, with less than two weeks to go, we're down to the sinister-but-inept (Sinclair Broadcasting forcing its entire empire to show an anti-Kerry documentary and call it news). Where we're headed next is anyone's guess.

So between all that and the usual partisan jabbering from the right and left, is it any wonder that the only man on TV who seems to have his head on straight is "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart?

Make no mistake, Stewart is funny. But as the political season has heated up, his jokes have taken on a sharp new edge. What really sets him off, it seems, is the way political discourse has grown simultaneously more orchestrated, more deceptive and more brutal.

Posted by: Jonathan Singer / 1:32 PM | Basie! Home