Stephen Colbert isn't really running for president

Stephen Colbert's announcement Thursday night that he is exploring a presidential run has meant publicity for the comedian - and the role being played in this election cycle by so-called super PACs, which Colbert winkingly describes as "100 percent legal and at least 10 percent ethical."

But that doesn't mean South Carolina Republicans should expect to be able to vote for Colbert when they head to the polls next Saturday in the next nominating contest on the primary calendar.

On his Comedy Central program Thursday night, Colbert announced he is forming "an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for my possible candidacy for the president of the United States of South Carolina." Onscreen a graphic read, "I'm Doing It!"

Yet Colbert could not get on the ballot in South Carolina - the November 1 deadline for doing so has come and gone - and the state does not provide a space for write-in votes in primaries. "South Carolina state law does not allow any write-in ballots in presidential primaries. There is no blank space on voting machines to write in a candidate," said Matt Moore, executive director of the South Carolina GOP. He added: "Stephen Colbert has about as much chance of being elected president in South Carolina as he has of being elected pope."

Colbert, who tried to run for president in South Carolina in 2008 but was unable to get on the ballot, has been pointing to a recent Public Policy Polling survey that found him polling ahead of Jon Huntsman in the state. Ballot access rules vary from state to state. It's possible that Colbert could get on the ballot in states where deadlines have not passed, and/or get write-in votes in states that allow such votes. But getting on ballots is an arduous, time consuming process - just ask the major GOP candidates who have failed to do so in various states - and it's unlikely that Colbert would attempt to do so for what is essentially a joke.

The real significance of Colbert's announcement may be the spotlight it puts on super PACs, into which donors can pour unlimited money in order to support or attack candidates, and thus influence election outcomes. Super PACs were made possible by the 2010 "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision that effectively classified money as speech.

The groups are technically unaffiliated with the candidates, and they cannot legally coordinate with them. Yet they have been doing the dirty work for candidates in this election cycle: In Iowa, a super PAC backing Mitt Romney ran millions of dollars in attack ads attacking Newt Gingrich's "baggage," and a pro-Gingrich super PAC, flush with a $5 million donation from a Las Vegas casino mogul, is now going up with attack ads hammering Romney's record running Bain Capital.

On his show Thursday, Colbert handed over control of his super PAC to his Comedy Central compatriot Jon Stewart, who mocked the notion that super PACs and campaigns don't coordinate: The host of "The Daily Show" quipped in a press release that "Stephen and I have in no way have worked out a series of morse-code blinks to convey information with each other on our respective shows."

Stewart and Colbert are not alone in questioning the line between Super PACs and campaigns: Calling on Romney to get the attack ads against him off the air last month, Gingrich said "don't hide behind some baloney about this super PAC that I actually have no control over that happens to be run by five of my former staff. That's just baloney." Super PACs backing candidates - including the ones backing Gingrich and Romney - are often run by people who used to work for the candidates.

Joined by his lawyer Trevor Potter, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, Colbert gleefully mocked the supposed division on Thursday night, noting he could still volunteer on behalf of the super PAC, now called "The Definitely Not Coordinated with Stephen Colbert Super PAC." Stewart, Colbert and Potter put their hands together and shouted in unison: "Non-coordination!"

Colbert's super PAC - previously called "Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow" - first ran ads in Iowa in August calling on voters to write in "Rick Parry" on ballots ahead of the Iowa Straw Poll, misspelling the name of Texas Gov. Rick Perry with an "a" - "for America." Colbert also has another group - incorporated as a 501(c)(4) - that can dump unlimited anonymous donations into his super PAC; he used that to fund ads to back the owners in the NBA lockout.

[robert9543]

I figured out what is wrong with our country WASHINGTON!!

Did you know that if we just dropped gas prices by $1 which is what it would be if the goverment would step in, because if you remember gas prices didn't go up till 911 when they raised the price to $4 a gallon and found out people would pay it!!

So think about it if the average american fills a 18 gallon tank once a week and saved $18 a week times 100,000,000 people thats 312,000,000 population minus 212,000,000 for elderly, retired, disabled, unemployed, and children that live in the USA. That would be 1,800,000,000 a week towards our falling economy!!

Doesn't take a genius to see thats $93,600,000,000 a year the american people would be saving and putting towards other things like the economy or better yet mortgages!!!!!!

So write your vote in for independant Robert Bowling running for president of the United States and I promise if elected i will bring big oil back down off their high horse and back to reality!!

Besides why can't a disabled vet, and father of 5 run for president I have a PHD, and it don't take a college education to see what the problem is they just need to bring it out into the open!!!

The truth it might hurt, but it's time the american people hear it before we lose everything!!!!

Thank You!! God Bless!! God Bless America!!!

Paid for by Robert Bowling United States President Canidate

[bamaven]

I watched the clip of Mr.Colbert signing off his Super PAC to some other comedian and his interview on ABC this past Sunday. Frankly, I don't understand why this guy is so popular. He is just not funny.In his ABC interview, he came across as rude to the extent of being a jerk.

My theory is that some of the comedians are funny early in their career and once they achieve some sort of fame or success, they are convinced that anything they utter henceforth is funny. Fans of a particular comedian who have followed him/her over the years have unconsciously lowered the quality of jokes expected of a particular comedian that if the comedian shows up on stage and makes any sort of monologue, they keel over laughing.

[bill650]

Colbert compared Mormonism to Islam in that there was no one but Jeseph Smith and Mohammed that could verify their divine revelation

[GirlAchromatism]

Baloney? Seriously?

B-O-L-O-G-N-A

[larrylinn1]

Stephen Colbert is a comedian! The other Repugnican candidates are bad jokes!

[RobAla]

I am shocked at the number to politically lazy people who say that they obtain their political perspective about candidates from Colbert (a comedian and an entertainer). The Presidency of the United States is much too important than to casually listen to a comedian as a determining factor about how your will be cast. I am encouraged by the number of people reading and posting on news areas (whether I agree or disagree with the statements posted). It shows that some Americans are actually doing a little research and thinking.

I would hope that more Americans will seriously research both the personal history, political positions, and proposed ideas of a number of candidates prior to casting votes. From my perspective, I would like to see all group donations (PACS, unions, and corporate) done away with. I would like to see contributions limited to individual American citizens, at about $1,000 per candidate. However, over time the courts have rule that groups are allowed to contribute.

[RobAla]

goplies: I would guess that you are referring to Limbaugh. I will challenge you to find one post where I referred to him as a source. You can sling statements all you want, but if your handle is "goplies", you should take care about your own honesty.

[BobForsberg]

He and Ron Paul have equal chances of being nominated by the American people....both entertaining but can't be taken seriously.

[Skootch]

Not sure if you noticed, but Ron Paul placed 3rd in Iowa and 2nd in NH... so the only candidate currently ahead of him is Romney.

That means he is ahead of the 4 remaining candidates. So, what you're really saying is that no one has a chance of being nominated except Romney?
... you seem to know a lot about people who can't be taken seriously, Bob...

[nancy_naive]

It's an exercise in education.

Colbert is doing more to educate the idiots in this country on Super PACs than ALL of the political media combined.

[ofusriley]

As per usual. Although, doing more than all of the political media combined isn't really very much anyway.

[Junior4209]

I think colbert would tell a lot less bs than that other guy

[RedJennings]

I think calling Perry, Huntsman, Gingrich, Roemer and Santorum "major candidates" at this point is a bit of a stretch.

[nancy_naive]

And come November, the same could be said of Romney.

[thomasmc1957]

I'd vote for Colbert before I'd vote for any of the A-holes running for the GOP nomination.

[RedJennings]

I'd consider voting for Huntsman, but his chances of being the nominee are considerably lower than Colbert's.

[SouthSide55]

They say Huntsman will quit the race tomorrow, leaving Colbert in last place, until they do the next South Carolina poll.