Stewart: Media-Ignored Ron Paul Like “13th Floor in a Hotel”

There’s an old quotation attributed to Mohandas K. Gandhi that goes “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” Beautiful, and fitting, and accurate, but there’s never been any evidence the Mahatma actually said that. Essentially that adage is a more well-rounded and slimmer version of Nicholas Klein’s words at a convention of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America in either 1914 or 1918 (disputed): “First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you.”

Either way, Rep. Ron Paul seems to be writing his own historical quotation: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they go back to ignoring you, then you lose your congressional seat.”

Despite finishing fewer than 200 votes behind Rep. Michele Bachmann at the meaningless-yet-herd-thinning Ames Straw Poll in Iowa on Saturday, Ron Paul can’t get no respect. His name is nowhere near the “top tier,” which now includes Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Bachmann. Why no Ron Paul? That’s what Jon Stewart wants to know. Warning: The Santorum Curveball will bring the serious guffaws:

If you want more Daily Show goodness, the Rick Perry bit is pretty good, too:

And, of course, there’s always Colbert’s take on the Iowa Madness:

Comedy Central, killing it with truthiness. Killing it.