All networks need a Jon Stewart

The smackdown of the year clearly highlights a bunch of things:

1. Jon Stewart has a hunger to call out the rotten apples in the basket
2. Only Jon Stewart has the courage to take on an entire network
3. All other news organisations are reluctant to point their finger in fear of repudiation.

As Jon said I feel sorry for Cramer who seems to have been 'thrown under the bus' by CNBC. It is unfortunate that he is taking most of the heat while it should be CNBC as a whole. I agree with a lot of what Jon said: CNBC was short on journalism when it was needed most.

Cramer was short of words, cornered, made to eat his own words, - helpless, to summarize. If you ask me, Cramer made a mistake by even trying to take on Jon when the former was highlighted on the show.

In this country it is an open secret that for news youngsters rely mostly on late night shows, including Jay Leno and of course The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Reverse analogy works beautifully: why would people watch Jon Stewart if what he does(the news analysis) is shown on a major network?

In retrospect, all Jon Stewart does is splice a few clips interspersed with a couple of holy words and unfunny funny faces. It is obvious that he needs material for a memorable show, however he hides behind the facade that he is just a comedian whenever he is criticised for being too soft on guests or boldly identifying farced situations.

Actually, that is where the problem lies: Jon Stewart makes fun of the media, of which all these anchors are part of and will not be willing to dirty their spotless coats.

In my honest opinion the sharpest commentators are Jon, Colbert, Leno, Letterman, Craig Ferguson and to an extent Bill Maher. The stuff they mention in their monologues is seldom talked about in a news channel. Is it any coincidence that all of them are... comedians?
At the height of the Palin debacle and the run up to the election - suddenly all the media were not fact checkers but peddlers with a crowd mentality.

Stewart has everyone's attention. It is a clarion call: call out nonsense, you will be a hero. It's happening everywhere. The Madoff whistleblower, the Stanford whistleblower.. Truth can be hidden. It can't be denied.