Stephen Colbert has a 'polite reminder' for all you poll obsessives out there

Stephen Colbert wants you to calm down about the polls

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 16 September 2016

"With less than eight days until early voting starts, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are tied in the polls — which means no matter who you support, you're pretty upset," Stephen Colbert said on Thursday's Late Show. To calm everyone down, he offered a "polite reminder" about the polls. "A tie between the candidates around this time in the campaign has happened in every election of this century," Colbert said. "Romney and Obama were tied around now. Obama and John McCain were tied on Sept. 17, two days from now. George W. Bush and Al Gore are still tied — one of them won the vote, the other won the presidency, it's even." So put down the suicide tools, he said. "A late-breaking tie is almost as inevitable as you thought Hillary was."

Reminder complete, Colbert made a brief but incisive dig at the undecided voters: "How can you still be unsure? That's like saying, 'Hmm, what do I want for breakfast, Cheerios or a bowl of hornets?'" Just as he appeared to be warming into something Colbert launched into.... an infomercial for a national iced tea brand. Man gotta eat. But watch at least the first half 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.