Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Provide Live Election Coverage

In a move that further blurred the line between "real" news and the ubiquitous commentary and satire that surrounds that news, America's two favorite political comedians and commentators delivered live coverage of "an" historic election.

The hour-long special on Comedy Central followed a typical script for Colbert and Stewart, with fake reports from campaign headquarters' mixed with actual election results as they became available. Colbert's satirical right-wing character stole the comedic portion of the show, as he vigorously resisted the notion that McCain was going to lose the election, even calling on South Carolina's result, one of the key McCain wins, to be a special triple bonus state. Colbert had various gags running throughout the broadcast, including a pet bird and a verbal barrage about the relative insignificance of Vermont.

Last night's Comedy Central coverage of the most anticipated presidential election in generations was the culmination of at least two years of ongoing and highly successful political humor across almost every type of media. The seemingly constant gaffes of President Bush and his administration, coupled with the emergence of the eventual contenders for presidential nominations, left comedians, writers and late-night television hosts with an endless stream of material. In the process, shows like Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report soared to new heights of popularity and social relevance.

The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, in particular, speak directly to the younger generation as well as anyone who is at least loosely familiar with the political issues of the day. These shows accurately explain the fundamental issues while pointing out and skewering the absurdity that often defines the US political system. Now that a new administration is waiting in the wings, some are worried that there won't be as much to discuss or lampoon as there has been in the past. But I'm betting that the US political system will continue to deliver an unending stream of great comedic material for many years to come.