Jon Stewart chastises Obama for talking to Americans about ISIS like adults

Jon Stewart lectures Obama about his ISIS language — (Image credit: The Daily Show)

On Monday night's Daily Show, Jon Stewart jumped into the debate about whether President Obama should use the word "Islamic" to describe Islamic State, al Qaeda, and other Islamic terrorist groups. Obama says no, because that will only provide the groups the religious legitimacy they crave, when they aren't religious leaders but just terrorists.

"Oh God," Stewart sighed. "Six and a half years into his presidency, and this man still thinks that he can persuade us through reasoned argument. Have you met us?" Obama's delusion that America will respond to a calm, reasoned argument is "what the medical community calls MSNBCitis," Stewart added, throwing in the jab: "Symptoms include cancelation." Obama's explanatory strategy is failing, Stewart said, because his GOP critics, when pressed, urge Obama to do to ISIS what the U.S. is already doing to ISIS. Luckily, The Daily Show has a crack team of video editors, and Jon Stewart has a solution. Watch below, but be warned, the language gets a little salty at the end. —Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.