Stephen Colbert says his bittersweet Hunger Games farewell to 'career tribute' Jeb!

Stephen Colbert bids a Hunger Games farewell to Jeb! — (Image credit: Late Show)

Stephen Colbert's post-South Carolina "Hungry for Power Games" ceremony featured only one fallen tribute, but he was a big one. The 2016 presidential field has dwindled down to "Hillary and the seven dwarves," he began on Monday's Late Show, in Caesar Flickerman character, quipping that Ben Carson "is both Sleepy and Doc." But, he added, "over the weekend we lost the biggest dwarf of all: Jeb!"

"It all began so promisingly for this career tribute," Colbert/Flickerman reminisced. "Trained since birth to fight for Capital City, he had all the advantages of name recognition, but was saddled with the burden of name recognition." Bush's sponsors poured $150 million into his losing candidacy, he added, "meaning his campaign cost as much as Inception — only the ending of Jeb's campaign makes sense."

Noting that Bush slogged on even as his poll numbers sank, passing out turtle pins to signal "slow and steady wins the race," Colbert did all he could think to do with his own Jeb! turtle — flush it down the toilet, with an arguably gratuitous aside: "And say hello to all the donors' money." After sounding the cannon and bidding a Hunger Games farewell to the tribute from "District Jeb!" Colbert/Flickerman gave his final benediction: "Farewell, gentle Jeb! Your dynasty has been forever put to rest." Watch below. 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.