Jon Stewart may have a bias to the left. Then again, almost every one in the media has a bias one way or another, although not everyone is honest or civil about it.

I've been watching the Daily Show since it began. At first it had some clever work but was not focused on hard news as much as soft news human-interest absurdism. Craig Killborne brought the "Sportcenter" level of analysis, so you couldn't expect too much.

But over the years it has steadily moved towards serious commentary. Just because they can do it with a sense of humor doesn't mean they aren't making legitimate points. Jon Stewart's interviews are particularly noteworthy. Every year there are fewer and fewer actors and pop stars, and more and more serious politicians and thinkers on the most relevant issues of the day. I am especially impressed that Jon Stewart can effectively and respectfully engage many of his conservative guests in constructive debate. I agree with Bill Moyers, who called him a modern Mark Twai

I have an enormous amount of respect for Stewart for finding what I believe is a perfect balance between satire and serious political debate. He's clearly a very talented man, and I think that the Daily Show has opened up many discussions that might otherwise have been ignored.

Actually, I have received many complements on how constructively I engage people who disagree with me on clipmarks. I appreciate them, but credit should be given where credit is due.

In High School Debate I learned how to defend my ideas and go for the throat. In College I learned how to research my opinions and support them well. But I learned how to respect other points of view and have enlightening conversations with people who disagree with me from Jon Stewart.