Blame Big Bird

It seems to be that one thing that stands out from the first presidential debates. I am of course talking about Mitt Romney saying he likes Big Bird, but he doesn't seem to want to pay Big Bird's wages anymore. Well, this has caused an uproar, or maybe upsquawk would be the proper term.

Big Bird is very famous. He is a television icon. He is a movie star. He even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! (Who else has a star there? Ronald Reagan.) And he is loved by millions. Millions of moms who enjoyed watching Sesame Street with millions of kid who are now of voting age. Millions of dads who pretended to be the Count when teaching their own kids how to count their toes and fingers. Millions of grandparents who are on Medicare but still want their grandchildren to be able to enjoy all the fun and educational benefits of Sesame Street.

So, was this another gaffe?  I think so. It's people in the 47% that look to Big Bird and Sesame Street for the type of learning for their kids that might be out of reach for their finances. Perhaps they can't afford a nursery school for their small children, but they can turn on Sesame Street and watch with their kids while Big Bird and his many friends teach the alphabet, counting, important concepts such as "Near/Far," and just getting along with the people in your neighborhood.

Who else is as beloved as Big Bird? Who else is a television icon? Who else is a movie star? Who else is loved by millions? Oh, yeah. It's Stephen Colbert. How would we feel, how would this country survive without Stephen Colbert keeping us informed of all that matters in this world, if he was no longer on The Colbert Report? That brings it down to the gut level that we all can relate to.

Who do you think is more connected with the voters, with the television audience, with moms and pops and kids and grandparents? Well, here's one way to find out. I'll put up a poll. No, not a presidential poll. We all know Big Bird is too young to be president, plus, he is non-partisan. But what about this? Suppose Stephen were sick one night and could not do The Colbert Report. One solution would be reruns of previous episodes. Have they ever considered a substitute host for a night or two, just until Stephen got over his illness? (Remarkably, Stephen has not missed a show due to illness as far as I can remember. How does he stay in such good health?)

Okay, here it is. If Stephen were sick and could not do the show, who would you rather watch, Big Bird or Mitt Romney?

And just in case you don't know how serious this is, if you have the fortitude for it, go look at this.