Stephen Colbert - the Most Influential Person of 2006

Truthiness? Is this a word? My spell check says no, but that isn't the case for millions of late night television fans. To them, truthiness is the calling card for a late night comedian who has quietly taken over our daily lexicon.

Stephen Colbert began his show in late 2005 as a spin off from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Initially, the response to the show was mixed as some viewers didn't know what to make of him. Is he really this conservative? Where is the joke? Why is he acting like Bill O'Reilly? Then gradually, viewers started to "get it".

What they got was a faux amalgamated representation of O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, and several other commentators of the conservative strain, packaged together in a quick witted comedic half hour where preening was king, and self adulation of the host was the norm. To those that "got it" Colbert represented an alternative to the conservative opinion makers that make up the "news" channels, while figuratively flipping the bird to those opinion makers at the same time.

While the Colbert Report built a solid audience with the coveted 25 to 52 demographic, he was still a cable phenomenon. That is until he was invited to the White House Correspondents Dinner. Obviously, whoever booked Colbert to do be the featured entertainer that evening didn't "get it", and the comic's routine was legendary, and signaled the turning point in the presidents approval numbers. Standing only feet from the President, Colbert skewered him with mock admiration, and skewered the elite press corps who was the audience that night.

Many critics said the performance was disrespectful and not funny, and none of the major networks made many references to his speech. It was only thanks to the power of the internet that his performance was widely seen, and those that found it funny also considered it a great example of speaking truth to power.

Whether one agrees that the routine was funny or not, it catapulted Colbert into the national spotlight and his viewership grew by 37%. Now, the beltway started to take notice of this unassuming comic, as the public had many months before. The 434 part series, Know a District, has become shunned by those on Capitol Hill due to Colbert's ruthless questions, and guests seeming inability to not say stupid things. From coercing a lawmaker into saying he likes cocaine, to stumping a congressman on the 10 commandments, Colbert has made short work of those willing to come on the show and do the segment. Considering the fact that most Congressman and women will do almost anything to get on camera, it is telling that the segment now has trouble finding anyone willing. It should be noted that everyone that has come on the show won in their district with the last election. Coincidence perhaps, but Colbert would say otherwise.

From making Truthiness a household word, to stunning the President of the United States into a fuming stupor, Colbert took hold of 2006 and made it his. For this reason, he is the most influential person of the year.