Stephen Colbert nods at Oprah's campaigning in Georgia, laughs at Mike Pence, drags in Harry Potter


Stephen Colbert reminded viewers Thursday night that he will be live on Election Night, pre-empting CBS News' coverage of the midterms. "But there's big election news already, because today Oprah hit the campaign trail for Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams," he said. "This is not easy, there's a sacrifice here. To take this partisan, political stand, Oprah is leaving 60 Minutes. Yeah, you know that that means? She's out of a job. How's she gonna pay her bills? We've got to set up a GoFundMe — so she can fund us."
Winfrey made a special point of insisting that she's not stumping for Abrams because she has any political aspirations of her own — "She's running," Colbert deadpanned — but because she wants everyone to vote. And she wasn't above pouring on the guilt, he noted. "Wow, I've heard of families guilt-tripping you, but only Oprah can make a family guilt-trip you from beyond the grave."
"But Abrams' opponent, Brian Kemp, is fighting back against Winfrey with who many have called the white male not-Oprah, Mike Pence," Colbert said. Will Ferrell was also in Georgia stumping for Abrams, but "the vice president had a message for those out-of-touch showbiz elites." Namely, Pence insisted he's also "kind of a big deal", and Colbert paraphrased his anti-Hollywood platitude: "This ain't Hollywood, Oprah! We don't cotton to big-city billionaires who are also TV stars! Take it from me, vice president to Donald Trump!"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump, for his part, told ABC News' Jonathan Karl on Thursday that he's "an open book," and The Late Show turned that into an alternate version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Watch below. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
5 hawkish cartoons about Pete Hegseth's meeting of military muscle
Cartoons Artists take on fat generals, bravery medals, and more
-
Why are American conservatives clashing with Pope Leo?
Talking Points Comments on immigration and abortion draw backlash
-
9 haunted hotels where things definitely go bump in the night
The Week Recommends Don’t fear these spirited spots. Embrace them.
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91
Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclub
Speed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's ills
Speed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, Stallone
Speed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's view
Speed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talk
Speed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle