Conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham Thursday said Jon Stewart on the previous evening's "O'Reilly Factor" looked sad, demoralized, and deflated about how Barack Obama is performing in his role as President.
"I was a bit saddened because Jon Stewart looked like the sad clown last night," Ingraham told O'Reilly after he asked her opinion about the comedian's appearance on his program.
"He just seems kind of demoralized and deflated," Ingraham continued.
"He knows that Barack Obama is in an auditorium now and the oxygen has been totally sucked out of it."
Ingraham also ridiculed Stewart's upcoming rally in Washington as "derivative to Glenn Beck" (video follows with transcript and commentary):
BILL O'REILLY, HOST: Now, me -- talking about positive portraits -- Stewart and O'Reilly last night. Did you get anything out of that interview?
LAURA INGRAHAM: I did. You know what I felt after that? I was a bit saddened because Jon Stewart looked like the sad clown last night. You know, in the circus there's the happy clown and then there's a clown with a straight face, and there's the sad clown. He just kind of seems sad. I mean he said, you know, "Barack Obama governed as a visionary and he's like and now he's just a functionary."
And, he didn't even seem like he -- he didn't even get in the shots at you that I thought he would get. He just seems kind of demoralized and deflated. And, then O'Reilly, you have to hold up that book that weighs about 40 pounds of his.
O'REILLY: Yes.
INGRAHAM: That 12 people wrote. You went to hold that up and you just gratuitously flipped through that thing. Clearly, hadn't read it before the interview.
O'REILLY: I looked at it. It's not the kind of book that you read--
INGRAHAM: It was a sad clown moment--
O'REILLY: It's more of a picture book. There was like charts in there, graph and --
INGRAHAM: And, you brought up the "Planet of the Apes" thing. I mean you're hitting him when he's down and I just felt --
O'REILLY: I'm not hitting him when he's down --
INGRAHAM: Sad clown.
O'REILLY: I thought he gave his good as he got.
INGRAHAM: Sad clown.
O'REILLY: I mean -- Look -- look, you made the clown analogy. We're not calling Stewart a clown. I think Stewart is --
INGRAHAM: No. No. He's --
O'REILLY: I think Stewart is smarter than --
INGRAHAM: No. I mean, he's a comedian but sad.
O'REILLY: And, this is basic truth. I think Stewart is the smartest guy in the entertainment current affairs business.
INGRAHAM: I agree with you.
O'REILLY: He's smarter than all of the others and he's an honest guy. You're right. He's a liberal guy and he's disappointed with his vote.
INGRAHAM: Bill -- No. No. I just meant he's a comedian but he seems sad, because he was disappointed by Obama.
O'REILLY: I would be sad, too. Look, you were sad -- I remember interviewing you on this program when Iraq went South. You were sad because Bush was getting pounded. You were over in Iraq yourself.
INGRAHAM: Yes.
O'REILLY: You knew things were rough for the guys and gals over there. You were sad. It's the same thing for Stewart now.
INGRAHAM: Yes, Bill, but I'm not a comedian. Here's what I think that you really did bring out last night that was great is that Stewart is a smart guy, and he knows when somebody lights up an audience, right? When somebody can light it up, he knows it. That's why he came on your show. That's why he has this derivative rally, that's derivative to Glenn Beck.
But, he knows that Barack Obama is in an auditorium now and the oxygen has been totally sucked out of it. That's what he knows. He knows entertainment. He knows show business, and he knows audience energy. And, he feels it, that Barack Obama has lost it. I think that came through last night. I thought you brought that out.
O'REILLY: All right. Laura thanks as always. We appreciate it.
In the end, she's right. Stewart did look deflated Wednesday evening as are many around the country that bought into the "Hope and Change" thing only to find out months later they were conned.
For some that's easily brushed aside as they are used to being tricked by politicians. Many likely blame Obama for taking advantage of them.
However, a bright guy like Stewart is probably just as ashamed of his own gullibility as the performance of the man he championed.
After all, like so many of his generation, he grew up with the rock anthem "Won't Get Fooled Again!"
I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
And I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again
Don't get fooled again
No, no!
