THE FRIDAY BUZZ

Straight Man

Fri. May 9, 2008


Senate Majority Leader Reid's somnambulant speaking style and dry delivery might be a perfect fit for C-SPAN, but the former boxer seemed a bit out of place earlier this week when he visited cable television's razor edge of cool wit -- "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." Let's just say Reid didn't have to act to play straight man to Stewart when he went on the show to promote his book, "The Good Fight." Indeed, Reid seemed more interested in being a respectful guest than cracking wise.

Stewart commended the book, noting the Reid's "rags to riches" story had a far steeper ascent than most. "You would have been happy to have rags!" Stewart enthused about Reid's childhood. Reid, not taking the bait, just smiled politely. Stewart, looking for an opening, continued in earnest, "You've had a remarkable journey, sir." More polite smiling. A long pause. "Or am I mistaken?" A grin, then finally, a comeback from Reid: "I'm here." In his trademark reedy timbre, Reid laid out the inspirational underpinning of this life, how if a poor boy from Searchlight can claw his way up the ladder to become the top Democrat in the Senate, the prospects look good for the rest of us. The crowd applauded awkwardly. Finally, just as it was time to go, Reid seemed to warm up. "You are someone who's got a reputation for toughness, and yet as I look across from you, I think, 'I could filibuster this man.'" Reid threw it back: "Everyone else has. You might as well."

If he was watching a few nights later, Reid could have gotten some performance points from Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee and a "Daily Show" regular. McCain jumped right into it, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he noted that things should change now that he was at the top of the ticket. "I'm sure you'll be much more respectful." He then talked about the near-collapse of his campaign last year, when he was stuck in the polls and out of money. At the lowest point, he said, he drew inspiration from what he said were the words of Chairman Mao -- "It's always darkest before it's completely black."

Stewart, too, was on his game. He asked if McCain was ready to follow Democratic presidential frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in denouncing an unpopular religious zealot -- President Bush. McCain laughed heartily. Then, McCain made news by announcing his running mate would be Dwight Schrute, the control freak from the TV show "The Office." That's how you play THAT audience. If this presidential thing doesn't work out, maybe McCain can give lessons.

by Ben Schneider