Would and should Stephen Colbert actually run for president?

Is America ready for Colbert to be president? Probably not. Should this prevent Colbert from running? Definitely not.

Colbert, the polarizing host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, asserted that his intention to run for president was no laughing matter.

"I don't want to be president. I want to run for president. There's a difference," Colbert said in a television interview.

Despite the attention to the issues that Colbert can bring through this bid for the presidency and his show, such a candidacy could potentially detract attention from the real contenders.

Apparently Colbert has already affected the Democratic campaign. His Web site for helping state schoolteachers raised more than $13,000, which detracts from the two other major Democratic campaigns, those of Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, according to Reuters.

Overall, however, Clinton and Obama undoubtedly take the lead when it comes to fundraising, and no logical person would expect Colbert to topple either of them.

Clearly, Colbert has no interest in using his candidacy to actually obtain the presidency — so why bother running? The 2008 election is a critical junction for the American politics, and such a detractor could harm some of the pack-leading candidates. Or it could help bring greater attention to the important issues of the election.

In its undeniable that Colbert is a man of great social significance. His outlandish and critically outspoken show, The Colbert Report, is often a bitingly harsh lashing-out against conservative pundits. Given the hush-hush nature of the Bush administration, such provocative attention is welcomed and needed.

Many people obtain their daily course of news from satirical shows like The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. Interestingly enough, much of the audience of these shows is actually well informed.

According to an April 2007 survey in The New York Times, people who were most able to identify major public figures were likely to be regular viewers of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. These fake-new programs outranked morning news programs, local television news and Fox News. In regards to those programs, regular viewers were least able to identify major public figures.

It would be one thing if Colbert, or Jon Stewart for that matter, provided the public with completely fictionalized versions of political happenings. However, given that the audiences of said shows are well informed because of these shows, that means Colbert and Stewart are actually influencing their audiences. Many viewers take these two men very seriously. Nothing could be more powerful.

Colbert plans to run in both the Republican and Democratic primaries in South Carolina, because, according to Reuters, Colbert would "like to lose twice."

If he obtains enough votes, Colbert could secure a South Carolina delegate at the Democratic National Convention.

"Why else run as a favorite son if you're not going to broker a convention? And if I get a delegate, it will be a brokered convention — unless they offer me to let me speak. Then maybe I would turn over my delegate," he said.

Luckily for the loyal audiences of The Colbert Report, the erstwhile satirist is clearly not taking his bid too seriously. Certain FCC equal-time rules require that all substantial political candidates be given equal radio and television time. This is why NBC stopped running Law and Order reruns after former star Fred Thompson announced his candidacy for the presidency.

While the FCC does not plan to impose the regulations on The Colbert Report, they would have the legal authority to do so should another candidate complain about unfair treatment. However, the FCC assures Americans that "no candidate wants to be the one to tell America, you can't see this program anymore."

Although Colbert is not a serious contender, the United States should know better from experience; just because someone is prolific, always in the public eye and even beloved does not mean that he or she will be a good leader. Just think about when Oprah's fans wanted her to run for president.

Colbert is charismatic and a staunch political aficionado. He is a rare breed; unlike most politicians, Americans actually seem to like him. Who knows? This stunt might help to collectively increase knowledge about the upcoming election, which would help only the most truly gifted candidates, such as Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, to advance.

Once you pull back the curtains on a politician's life, agenda and campaign, only the elite sustain. Something tells me that we are in for an interesting ride.

[Reach columnist Chris Heide at opinion@thedaily.washington.edu.]