Colbert and Perriello talk politics and chicken waste
After President Obama singled him out for praise on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night, Rep. Tom Perriello got some air time for himself on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.
Perriello, D-Albemarle County, appeared after host Stephen Colbert featured ads from Democratic candidates who are distancing themselves from Obama (the spot of West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin blasting a hole in the cap-and-trade bill drew hoots from the audience).
“You’re actually campaigning on the Democrats’ record,” Colbert said to Perriello, who was in Roanoke. “Why are you trying to hurt yourself like this? Is it a cry for help?”
Perriello answered earnestly: “I think we stepped up when the country was in crisis and said we’re not going to let another depression happen on our watch; we’re not going to be the party that steps up and says we care about energy independence and then does nothing about it. I think people are smart enough to understand that results take time.”
The interview, which appeared to be heavily edited, included an exchange about converting chicken waste to energy. Perriello talks up such waste-to-energy initiatives as a way to help farmers.
“That sounds like a bold energy initiative,” Colbert said. “Have you thought about running on that slogan – Tom Perriello: Chicken****?”
Perriello deadpanned: “We may have considered it but it was certainly rejected later on.”
You can watch the interview here.
October 28, 2010 - 7:27 AM
You know, a politician really has to weigh going on Colbert’s show. Perriello showed some guts doing so. You really stand a huge chance of being mocked and looking foolish. Perriello showed that he got the jokes, by his constant chuckles, even if he didn’t play along. That’s the danger zone – do you play along and say outlandish things, or do you play it straight, as though this wasn’t satire?
If you play along, you could have a Christine O’Donnell moment or three. If you play it straight, you could look like a stiff. Perriello looked a little stiff, but considering he is fighting for his political life, I have to throw him a bone for even appearing on Colbert.
Like him or not, he seems genuine. That’s refreshing in politics these days. He’s not a cardboard cutout, spitting out only party line cliches. I’m skeptical that he wins, but he deserves to do so…
Gosh! I like him. He is genuine, a genuine flaming Liberal that has nearly destroyed our great Republic!!
No, actually I think you all did a really good job of that all by yourselves #2!
pepperpot, that is a lot of you assign to Perriello. If he is that influential, maybe we should keep him.
He has singlehandedly ‘nearly destroyed our great republic’, eh? Wow, pretty heady stuff for a 30-something year old freshman Congressman. I am sure it will be easy for you to list just three specific pieces of legislation that he authored that virtually brought our democracy to its knees.
Go ahead, pepperpot, the clock’s ticking. You got anything more than gibberish?
#2 Wow, what a powerful guy!!!!