The Daily Show tries to figure out how Conservatives won Britain's election


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On Monday's Daily Show, Jon Stewart got to combine two of his favorite pastimes: Criticizing politicians and mocking CNN. Only this time, the politics was Britain's election, and the mockery was aimed at the BBC, which "has contracted a devastating case of CNN-itis,” Stewart said, defining the malady as "when a news organization spends a great deal of time creating visuals and set pieces which serve no discernible purpose and shed no perceptible light and actually distract you from what they were trying to find out." Don't worry: CNN got its share of mockery, too.
But Britain's Conservatives swept the election, getting an outright majority in Parliament. What was Prime Minister David Cameron's winning agenda? "A heady mix of grinding austerity and the killing of small, furry animals?" Stewart said. "What a popular message." He tried to find an explanation with Labour's Ed Miliband, but mostly found gotcha moments that don't translate across the Atlantic. (Eating a bacon sandwich is a deal-breaker?) If you watch until the end, Jordan Klepper reports from Britain on how their elections are different than America's. The big difference? It rhymes with honey. Watch below. —Peter Weber
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
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