The Daily Show: Do guests suggest political favoritism?

Leah Petrovich
lp183908@ohio.edu

This week I wanted to explore The Daily Show's website content rather than focus on the most recent episode. Video clips and complete coverage tabs about the RNC and DNC are still posted for those who are still looking for a political guffaw. However, what caught my eye was the list of upcoming guests. At this heavy campaigning time of year, I wonder if there is any strategy to who Stewart brings on his show.

Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

Kofi Annan is the scheduled guest for the show tomorrow, the 17th. Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as Secretary General of the United Nations from 1997-2006. I did some quick research on Annan to see how he could be a person of interest in the upcoming election.

In his farewell address to UN leaders in 2006, Annan called for the US to return to the ideas of President Truman; a multilateralist on foreign policy. Truman's belief was that "the responsibility of the great states is to serve and not dominate the peoples of the world". Annan also said that "no nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over others." 

I used this article from BBC for my information. It turns out that using President Truman as a reference was no mishap. The article says, "President Truman was an early champion of the UN - a contrast to Mr Bush, who has been one of its harshest critics..."

Although this is a presidency out-dated, will Annan still have the same thoughts about Mitt Romney's foreign policy? From reading the blurb on Romney's site, it sounds like his plan is to make a stronger America, which sounds similar to "seeking supremacy over others." 

What will Annan have to say about the race between Romney and Obama. Will he show any favoritism towards one candidate? I will be curious to see what the topic of conversation will be when Kofi Annan takes the stage on Jon Stewart's set.