Stephen Colbert says Mitt Romney has ‘good shot’ of winning
WASHINGTON — Comedian Stephen Colbert said Mitt Romney’s debate performance put the Republican presidential nominee on a “rocket ride to plausible,” even though it remains unclear whether the candidate is a moderate or conservative politician.
“We don’t know, because he seems absolutely sincere as a moderate. And he also seems pretty sincere as a severe conservative,” Colbert said on “Meet the Press.” “That’s not a dig. It’s honest confusion. Because he’s got a good shot of winning.”
The Comedy Central star said Romney’s game-changing debate performance against President Obama reversed the prospects of the candidate who until then “was just a walking, shambling mound of weakness.”
“That guy is on fire,” he said. “Now he’s the man, he’s got these long, luscious coattails and everybody’s jumping on board.”
PHOTOS: Memorable presidential debate moments
Colbert, who once launched his own exploratory bid for president and has created a political action committee as a way to showcase the power of money in politics, said he has no interest in running for office.
But he believes the choice before voters this fall offers a difference — even though “I don’t know what the difference is.”
“I think that there is a possibility that Obama would be, say, more aggressive — a more aggressive reformer or changer in the second act of his presidency. And I don’t really know how. I also don’t know how Mitt Romney would govern. He might govern as a technocrat,” he said.
“I know there’s got to be a difference between these two men or we’re all part of a huge cruel joke.”
Follow Politics Now on Twitter and Facebook
Twitter: @LisaMascaroinDC
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
