Palace Guard Panic: Stewart, Colbert Rush to Minimize Eastwood, Empty Chair

You’d think Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert would appreciate the comedy stylings of Clint Eastwood’s now famous RNC speech.

Not quite.

Stewart and Colbert may write “comedian” on their W-2 forms, but they’re first and foremost Palace Guards. Their shows exist, in part, to defend President Barack Obama from the slings and arrows of his detractors.

So when Eastwood’s RNC speech drew satirical blood, the duo snapped into action.

You’d think the duo would appreciate the symbolism of an empty chair representing empty rhetoric, even if Eastwood’s delivery was halting and uncertain at times.

To be fair, Stewart has occasionally taken it to Obama on his program, although often from the Left. Still, these are crunch times, and Palace Guards understand the battle Eastwood joined Thursday night.

Rather than make fun of a president so thin-skinned he felt the need to Tweet a picture of him in an actual chair – now, that’s funny – in response, Eastwood gags will probably resume tomorrow on both “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.”