"Midterm fever is sweeping the nation like Ebola except way more expensive,” says Jon Stewart. Stewart covers the midterm elections as both parties scramble around to acquire donations and contributions from members. The humorist recalls statements made by Democrats, including Obama. Nowadays, when the midterm elections are heating up, it is the Democrats who are playing catch-up in a game Republicans have mastered. Stewart plays a few clips of Obama in a fundraiser held by Gwyneth Paltrow and then real estate mogul, Rich Richmond. It’s comforting to know Stewart doesn’t ridicule only Republicans, but the absurdity and craze of media and politics. He then covers the Democrats' persistent emailing donation campaign that many people have been receiving over and over again.
There are way too many hilarious scenes to only choose a few, so I chose the entire episode on October 14. With ‘Au Bon Panic’, ‘Wait, How the F**k Does That Happen?’, and Zach Galifianakis, the second episode of the week even triumphs the debate between Jon Stewart and William (Bill) O’Reilly. The ‘Au Bon Panic’ discusses the media’s obsession with the Ebola outbreak, or lack thereof, in the U.S. Some people, including Bill O’Reilly and politicians from Texas, proposed not to allow anyone flying in or to West Africa due to the fear of the deadly virus spreading. However, quarantine specialists have stated this method will not contain the virus, knowing it will simply spread to neighboring countries when people feel trapped and try to flee on the ground.
Even more bizarre than the debate between the governors, New York’s 11th Congressional District elections between Republican incumbent, and currently under indictment, Michael Grimm and an incompetent Domenic Recchia, the Democrat councilman, who can’t seem to get a sentence out. Although Grimm has over 20 charges against him including tax fraud and finance law violations, Recchia continues to trail in the race.
And last but not least, the final episode covers the Florida Gubernatorial Debate which was delayed due an obstruction of a fan – no not a ‘fanatic’, but the machine that blows cool air. Republican Governor Rick Scott would not appear because former Gov. Charlie Crist had asked to have a small fan (not allowed according to the rules of the debate) placed under his podium. Apparently Gov. Scott had a problem with the fan, hence delaying the deliberation. Although childish, this issue had Stewart’s mockery written all over it. Come to find out in a past debate between the two governors they ended up sharing the cooling machine. Stewart then goes on to plead that Florida is an extremely hot state and Gov. Crist had no other solution to cool “his sweaty balls.”