Some truthiness to Colbert’s campaign

Comedian, talk show host and newly announced presidential hopeful Stephen Colbert is known… Comedian, talk show host and newly announced presidential hopeful Stephen Colbert is known for his sense of humor. The Federal Election Commission isn’t. Put the two together, and you’re bound to have disastrous results.

The FEC’s interest in Colbert began after “The Colbert Report” host announced his official presidential candidacy – in both the Republican and Democratic parties – on his show last week. Since then, Colbert has begun to collect signatures to get himself placed on both parties’ ballots in – and only in – South Carolina. His campaign has also picked up Doritos as corporate sponsor, according to ABC News.

While Colbert’s run is just the latest extension of his well-known satirical take on the conservative movement, his campaign could be breaking some campaign finance laws – chief among them being the law that bars corporations from contributing to candidates, either through donations or free use of goods or services.

While Colbert has been able to get around the Doritos violation, claiming that Doritos was only sponsoring his show but not his candidacy – although as a candidate, he “just happens to like ’em,” – his precedent setting campaign still leaves many unanswered questions for the FEC.

Media organizations are permitted to feature presidential candidates in covering campaigns, but there is no precedent for a television network promoting and fostering a candidate of its own.

With no past precedent to guide its decision, the FEC could either consider Colbert’s entire campaign satire, which might allow him to continue to promote himself on his show under the media exemption that allows media organizations to report and provide commentary on elections, or it could fine Colbert for using his talk show to promote his campaign.

The FEC has yet to act on Colbert’s campaign, probably because it – along with the rest of the country – is waiting to see how far he is going to take it.

By definition, a campaign isn’t official until a candidate has raised or spent at least $5,000. To date, Colbert has raised exactly “zero-point-no-million-dollars,” as he pointed out on his show.

But what Colbert might lack in monetary support, he has certainly gained in viewer – and possibly, voter – interest, which has led many to speculate over what the effects of his run could be. On the surface, Colbert’s motives seem simple: The campaign would be the obvious next step for his exaggeratedly conservative character, who has often spoken of his political ambitions.

What’s been harder to figure out is what the real Stephen Colbert’s intentions are. The host rarely breaks character, and has yet to do so either on or off his show since his announcement – leaving many to wonder whether his faux run is intended only as publicity stunt for “The Colbert Report” or, possibly, if it could stem from more altruistic intentions.

Like it or not, Colbert – who attracts a significant amount of young viewership – shapes the way many people view the news. So, it’s not much of a stretch to predict that his candidacy could affect how we view, or vote in, the election – which could be great, as long as Colbert doesn’t take the stunt too far.

While politics can be funny – who hasn’t laughed at the current president’s blunders once or twice? – defense, education, health care and other prominent 2008 campaign issues aren’t laughing matters.

At its best, Colbert’s campaign could bring more attention and interest to the 2008 elections. At its worst, it could distract us from what matters. What will happen? We’re all waiting to see.