Stephen Colbert's Super PAC Is Running Attack Ads Against ... Stephen Colbert

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | January 19, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Videos | January 19, 2012 |

If you haven’t been watching “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” the last few weeks, you’re missing one of the finest long-tail parody take-downs in the history of politics. It’s a joke, but it’s a joke with the ability to effect change. A joke that allows Stewart and Colbert to skewer the political system by working within the political system.

The very short version: Stephen Colbert announced his intention to create an exploratory committee in order to run for the President of United State of America of South Carolina. By law, if someone become a candidate for office, he or she must relinquish any control he has of a Super PAC, one of those independent organizations that raises money on behalf of a candidate but can’t actually coordinate with the candidate. As a result, Colbert had to relinquish control of his Super PAC, Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow. He gave it to Jon Stewart, who renamed it The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC.

Now, The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC is running actual ads in South Carolina. The first was an anti-Romney ad, in which they accused him of being a serial killer, Mitt the Ripper (narrated by John Lithgow). The second implored voters to vote for Herman Cain (who is on the ballot but not running) as a way to show support for Colbert (who is not on the ballot but running). Hilariously enough, Herman Cain is actually supportive: He’ll be on Colbert to tape a segment showing said support.

This week, however, has been all about how easy it is to get around Super PAC “do not coordinate” laws through loop-chasms in campaign finance laws. Candidates are not allowed to directly coordinate with their Super PACs, but as New Gingrich has demonstrated, you can speak to your Super PAC on television as a “citizen.” Now, The Definitely Not Coordinating With Stephen Colbert Super PAC is definitely proving that it’s not coordinating with Stephen Colbert by running an attack ad on … Stephen Colbert. And it’s narrated by Samuel Jackson. And it is great.

This is some Jonathon Swift shit right here, people. And when it’s all said and done, I think this satire will raise awareness and ultimately effect real change in campaign finance.