ACORN and I Were on The Daily Show Last Night!

by: Bertha Lewis

Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 14:45

Earlier this week John Oliver, a correspondent for the Daily Show, interviewed me for a story on community organizing and community organizers. The piece aired last night.

I think it did a good job showing the absurdity of the claims from the Right about organizing and organizers, especially as pushed by hackmeisters like Matthew Vadum, who was also in the segment.

For the record, I would never sell used cars. Take public transit, people!

You can watch the segment below.

Bertha Lewis :: ACORN and I Were on The Daily Show Last Night!

Tags: ACORN, The Daily Show, voter suppression, community organizing, community organizers, Barack Obama, Jon Stewart, Bertha Lewis, voter registration, (All Tags)

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ACORN and I Were on The Daily Show Last Night! | 18 comments

You are an inspiration! (4.00 / 2)

And a really good sport, I must add!

by: aperio @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 18:53:08 PM UTC

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You were great! (4.00 / 4)

You were great, and handled John Oliver's irreverence with class. I thought it was a great segment, especially the ending.

Matthew Vadum sure is a wacko, and a great spokesperson for the "anti-community organizer" movement (who knew there was such a thing?!!).

Check out Future Roots for organic rock'n'roll goodness from Oregon...

by: robinozretich @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 18:53:46 PM UTC

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Yes, very fine performance! (0.00 / 0)

Must have been hard to stay serious when John Oliver totally went over the top with his funny reenactment of ridiculous rethuglican talking points! But you handled it like a pro, providing the necessary counterpoint in a down-to-earth, honest and natural manner. Congratulations!

by: Gray @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 08:03:25 AM UTC

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Vadum (4.00 / 1)

Doesn't Vadum look and sound like Chris Farley's runty, picked on little brother?

by: alameda @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:05:41 PM UTC

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my wife watched it (4.00 / 2)

and noted that a large number of GOPers actually resemble pigs (Rove, that Vadum whackjob, Limbaugh).

I couldn't believe Vadum. I thought he was a comedian. I had to google him to afterward to see if he was for real. How could he not be joking when he said that being a community organizer was good preparation for being a "rebel leader in a civil war"-- WTF?!?

by: bluesteel @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:51:08 PM UTC

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Don't jerks like Vadum see they are hurting their side? (4.00 / 1)

Obviously not. And this says a lot about the state of mind of those right wing extremists. They are living in a bubble, believing their own lies, and are totally oblivious of how their madness grosses out average folks. Really, you can't make that stuff up! Good decisions by the Daily Show folks to use a real rethuglican to provide those mind boggling accusations. That's like an Aikido technique: Use their own tools against them! Works like a charm.

by: Gray @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 08:14:22 AM UTC

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Bertha, you need a sense of humor (4.00 / 1)

I saw the bit and wished you'd handled the crack stuff in a way that would indicate that you know you are on the Daily Show and that John Oliver was busting your chops. Please do not think that I think crack is funny. The Daily Show premise is to make serious people look like humorless idiots. Matthew Vadum was absolutely clueless as Oliver brought out his racism. But, our side needs to show we are in on the joke and not look like we don't get it.

I live in a true blue state--I will have a choice in November

by: LeeNYC @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:09:20 PM UTC

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nope (4.00 / 2)

Bertha played it right. The pressure is too high to play "in on the joke." Bertha's indignation is real even if John Oliver is acting a fool.

by: T Maysle @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:54:10 PM UTC

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no way (4.00 / 1)

acting "in on the joke" almost always backfires, imho. but i also think crack is funny.

by: bluesteel @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:52:42 PM UTC

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No. The serious tone was necessary to provide the counterpoint. (4.00 / 2)

Actually, it's the stark contrast between John Oliver's hilarious reenactment of rethuglican madness, and Bertha's down-to-earth, serious and honest reactions that made the segment to funny! And I'm sure the pros of the Daily Show wanted to have it exactly this way.

by: Gray @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 08:18:36 AM UTC

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Less of a joke than the Fox News Report. (0.00 / 0)

Art imitates life.

by: franz hartl @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:12:23 PM UTC

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Yeesh, where did they find that idiot Vadum? (4.00 / 3)

His bullshit was so over-the-top as to make me suspect he was a ringer for Stewart, but I googled him and apparently he's a genuine right-wing hack -- they really are that malignantly stupid.

"A fantasy is not even a wish, much less an act. There is no such thing as a culpable or shameful fantasy." -----Lady Sally McGee

by: mantis @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 19:16:11 PM UTC

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He's employed (4.00 / 2)

by the right-wing oppo research shop Capitol Research Something or Other (too lazy to look it up). They've been on ACORN's jock for years, ever since the started leading the living wage and minimum wage fights in the mid-90's.

by: nathanhj @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:27:10 PM UTC

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I wasn't the only one (0.00 / 0)

I bet his name spiked on the google last night.

by: bluesteel @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:53:29 PM UTC

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Where's the crack? (4.00 / 1)

by: Peter from WI @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 20:15:07 PM UTC

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I suspect Vadum has smoked it! (4.00 / 1)

The crazy, mind-boggling arguments he made are strong evidence that he was under the influence. His ridiculous fingerpointing at others doesn't hold water, but looks like a lame attempt to divert attention from his own stash hidden in his fake bible!

by: Gray @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 08:22:58 AM UTC

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Nice job, Bertha (0.00 / 0)

Thanks for all the work you do!

by: angrymind @ Fri Oct 31, 2008 at 21:04:44 PM UTC

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Thanks Bertha! (0.00 / 0)

Way to go! I think the GOP's manufactured storyline is falling flat on its face, at least among non-wingnut America. Thanks for all that you and ACORN do!

"I think the economic logic behind dumping a load of toxic waste in the lowest wage country is impeccable and we should face up to that."
-Lawrence Summers

by: kbuck @ Sat Nov 01, 2008 at 04:09:34 AM UTC

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ACORN and I Were on The Daily Show Last Night! | 18 comments

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