The Colbert Report Season 6 Episode 7 John Heilemann
- January 13, 2010
In season 6, episode 7 of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert welcomes journalist John Heilemann to the show. Heilemann is the co-author of the book "Game Change," which chronicles the 2008 United States presidential election and the campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain.
The episode begins with Stephen Colbert flaunting his latest achievement: the show has been named the "most dangerous show on television" by Fox News. Colbert boasts that he's "more dangerous than shark attacks, communism, and public radio combined."
After the opening monologue, Colbert introduces John Heilemann to the stage. Heilemann's book "Game Change" was a best-seller and was later adapted into an HBO movie. Colbert praises Heilemann's work and asks him how he managed to get so much access to the campaigns of Obama, Clinton, and McCain.
Heilemann explains that he and his co-author, Mark Halperin, conducted hundreds of interviews with people involved in the campaigns. They even spoke with Obama and McCain themselves. Heilemann emphasizes the importance of "scenes," or moments that reveal something about a candidate's character, in his reporting.
Colbert asks Heilemann about some of the more salacious details in his book, such as the affair between John Edwards and Rielle Hunter. Heilemann admits that it was a difficult story to report and that he and Halperin were careful not to publish rumors or innuendo. He says that they only included the affair in the book after they had verified it with multiple sources.
The conversation then turns to the 2016 presidential election. Heilemann says that he thinks Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee and that the Republican nominee is anyone's guess. Colbert jokes that he's "running" for president and asks Heilemann if he has any advice for him.
Heilemann advises Colbert to "be authentic" and to "create a narrative" that voters can connect with. Colbert then unveils his new campaign slogan: "Colbert in 2016: Yes We Can...Get Around to It Eventually." Heilemann laughs and says that he thinks Colbert has a good shot at the nomination.
The interview ends with Colbert giving Heilemann a copy of his book, "I Am America (And So Can You!)." Heilemann promises to read it and says that he's looking forward to coming on the show again.
Overall, season 6, episode 7 of The Colbert Report is an entertaining and insightful conversation between Stephen Colbert and journalist John Heilemann. They discuss the inner workings of presidential campaigns and offer some humorous commentary on the current state of American politics.