Can Comedy Decide the Presidential Election?

President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s divergent plans for the economy, unemployment, foreign policy, and health care are the big issues of the 2012 presidential campaign, but will it be each candidate’s sense of humor that actually decides this election?
The “Millenial” generation, which includes 80 million Americans ages 16-32, represents a significant portion of the voting population. A study by Comedy Central earlier this year found that humor is this generation’s primary method of defining themselves, their beliefs, and their relationships. It can also be a coping mechanism or a way to gather information. (Fifty percent of Millenials said that political satire shows like “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” and “Saturday Night Live’s” Weekend Update segment are frequent sources of election news.)
Now Comedy Central has partnered with TRU Insights and Insights Research for another new study, which analyzes the role of comedy in Millenials’ political leanings. It turns out that any politicians who want to win these votes need to find their funny bones.

(Read the rest of the story here)