Is Satirist Jon Stewart the "Most Trusted Man in America" for some? And why not?

The New York Times did a wonderful piece on The Daily Show's emergence and continued sway in the field of comedy, satire, social criticism and OHMYGOD...News.
   The piece is at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/arts/television/17kaku.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Jon%20Stewart&st=cse&oref=slogin

   And why not?
   Stewart's guest list of world leaders, biting, angry authors, and yes, savvy politicians willing to wrestle Stewart (mano e meme) on issues of the day that range from nation building in the Middle East to deception of a national electorate for personal gain and historic hubris beyond all arrogance is truly impressive.
   I tell my students that reading a local newspaper, one major metro newspaper and dropping in on The Daily Show regularly will heighten their knowledge of world events and cultural trends. Why? Because for several years Jon Stewart has snapped at mainstream media effectively and insistently on the public's behalf. He's served as the jester and the lunatic willing to scream sense at the heart of the beast. His work is amazingly timely. often thoughtful and so disarming, it should be marketed by Karen Hughes, President Bush's former PR expert on foreign diplomacy.

   I tell my students you cannot appreciate half of what Jon Stewart and his crew of screwball correspondents have to parody UNLESS you read the news, stay informed, and have a little history under your belt. All the usual carping about liberal media against Stewart is just that. Nonsense. Stewart is angry about nonsensical public policy and foreign positions that only consume more human and capital resources with less and less results. His cohorts in cutting comedy rip at pols of cowardly act and bipartisan stripes regularly. It doesn't matter if you're a hypocritical U.S. Senator lurking in an airport batthroom or a pandering U.S. Representative hoping to skirt public disclosure from the GAO, Stewart has your number. It just so happens the power players for nearly the past decade are dominated by one small yet devout section of a single party. Riff on, Mr. Stewart. Riff on.