Americans want Tina Fey to replace Jon Stewart on the Daily Show, according to a recent poll. Of course, it’s not all that simple. Even America’s choice for anchoring the nation’s lead fake news show is split along partisan lines.
The poll from Quinnipiac University showed Tina Fey was the most popular hypothetical Daily Show host, with 19 percent of the vote. Dennis Miller was second with 16 percent. Jon Oliver took 8 percent; Brian Williams tied with Craig Ferguson for 7 percent; and Chelsea Handler got 5 percent.
Tina Fey held a similar job in the past, anchoring the Saturday Night Live comedic news desk next to Jimmy Fallon and, later, Amy Poehler. She went on to create and star on the hit sitcom 30 Rock on NBC, and now she’s on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt .
Of course, Fey has not shown any public interest in Jon Stewart’s job. Unfortunately for Comedy Central, no one has really stepped up to ask for the position since Jon Stewart suddenly , and seemingly without warning, announced he was stepping down from the anchor chair.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr , Jason Jones and his wife, Samantha Bee, are both leaving the Daily Show to work on their own show on TBS. Other alumni Jon Oliver, Stephen Colbert, and Larry Wilmore are all occupied with similar jobs.
The field seems wide open for Tina Fey to move in and make America’s wish come true.
Still, not everyone would be happy with a Daily Show hosted by Fey. A deeper look at Quinnipiac’s numbers show that the country is divided about the future of Daily Show anchor seat, with Republicans favoring Dennis Miller.
Poll assistant director Tim Malloy explained the situation in a statement.
“Two comedians, both former Saturday Night Live mock news readers, lead the pack to fill Jon Stewart’s chair. Dennis Miller is the favorite of 24 [percent] of Republicans. Tina Fey, with her dead-on take on Sarah Palin, is the darling of 26 [percent] of Democrats.”
The Daily Show has long harpooned Republican politicians and conservative news outlets like Rush Limbaugh and Fox News. Dennis Miller, on the other hand, is a contributor on Fox News, who would likely change the fake news show’s style and favorite pin cushions. Whether Comedy Central is ready for such a dramatic change seems unclear.
A further look at the numbers reveal that 46 percent of Republicans actually don’t care at all or had no answer, nearly 15 percent higher than for Democrats. Showing that in the end the show has a larger Democrat audience, one that the Comedy Central might not want to betray with a substantial change.
The poll also carried a significant, but unavoidable, problem — it was closed. The five contenders mentioned above were the only choices for poll participants. Where was Amy Poehler or Steve Carell? Or Donald Trump, for that matter.
Whoever takes on the anchor seat on the Daily Show , whether its Tina Fey or some other person who hasn’t shown any interest, they will come into a job with a lot of high expectations.
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