The Colbert Bump

There's now a statistical basis for it:

Democratic candidates who appear on “The Report” receive 44% more money than those who do not in the first month after their appearance. We no longer have to rely on the gut or Wikipedia — the evidence speaks for itself.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wouldn’t recommend anyone go on “The Colbert Report,” but these results show that Democrats who ignored her advice probably did themselves a favor. For Democrats, the “Colbert bump” is financially measurable, and it may be just what they need to keep control of the Congress in 2008.

This is so completely obvious. I remember going to the California Democratic Party convention last year and seeing Rep. Brad Sherman from a distance, and a young guy standing next to me said "Hey, isn't that the guy from The Colbert Report?" This raises visibility among informed people (yes, the Stewart/Colbert audiences are informed), and humanizes politicians. Everyone knows it's a joke and any Republicans trying to use Colbert appearances as attack lines will be laughed off the political stage. This is such a win-win.