During MSNBC's convention coverage on Monday night, Bill Maher explained to Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann that American politics "seem to be getting worse because, sorry to say it, people get stupider and stupider every election cycle."
Maher's evidence of Americans' stupidity is found in the fact that "they think off-shore drilling is gonna lower the price of gas and they think Obama, the black guy from the single mother, somehow is the elitist."
Matthews and Olbermann didn't blink at Maher's characterization of Americans but simply provided the perfect set-up for Republican mockery by asking him who the Republicans will run as vice-president and who he wanted to win "for just comedic purposes."
According to Maher, Mitt Romney would be a good pick because "it would be very funny" to see Romney "educate the American people on the lunacy that is Mormonism."
As for who would provide more comedic fodder, Maher went with McCain since "a 200-year old man is always amusing."
Maher then went on to label himself "the loyal American citizen" because he's "for the guy who's getting up here on Thursday night."
The relevant transcript is provided below:
KEITH OLBERMANN: You've studied this well enough, I mean are we at an all-time low politically or does it just seem that way because these are our politics right now and we don't really know how, how evil the campaigns were against William Jennings Bryan and the rest of them?
BILL MAHER: That's a great question and it's certainly is one for historians and I am not a historian. But in my, in my lifetime, I would have to say that things do seem to be getting worse. And they seem to be getting worse because, sorry to say it, people get stupider and stupider every election cycle. I'd love anybody to tell me something that you can't just tell the American people and have them believe it because you didn't add "LOL" to it at the end of your e-mail message. You know they think off-shore drilling is gonna lower the price of gas and they think Obama, the black guy from the single mother, somehow is the elitist. So, you know I think the American people, at the end of the day, have to look in the mirror. They get the leaders they deserve and they don't deserve very good leaders.
MATTHEWS: Who are the Republicans gonna run for Vice President Bill?
MAHER: Well I would love it to be Mitt Romney since I have a movie about religion coming out. And Mitt Romney, of course, will have to educate the American people on the lunacy that is Mormonism. And I think that would be very funny. I also think it's funny that the Republicans were for Rudy Giuliani but we showed five different pictures of him dressed up as woman at one point. And then the Republican base went, "Well let's go to Mitt Romney." Then they found out about Mormonism and they went, "Let's go to Fred Thompson." And then they wound up back with McCain.
MATTHEWS: Well let me defend Mormonism. It's a good religion. Let's move on from that. Shall we demure on that subject?
...
MATTHEWS: Okay, well Bill Maher who's the biggest, who's, who do you want to win this election for just comedic purposes? Just for nightclub, red brick, purposes?
MAHER: Well there's no doubt that McCain would be better for nightclub purposes. I mean a 200-year-old man is always amusing. But I'm the loyal American citizen, Chris. I want to see the best man win. The smartest guy. So I'm for the guy who's getting up here on Thursday night.
