Are Stewart and Colbert responsible for young people being heavily democratic?

[Matty]

I would wager that a good 70-80% of people ages 18-25 watch those shows weekly, and the shows really do a good job of selling and advertising the democratic party in a humorous way. I can't remember who said it, but I once heard someone say that those two men are the two biggest reasons why Obama won the young vote so heavily. In this respect, I wonder how Colbert's exit will sit over with dem strategists.

[Matty]

Yes, but the underlying motives are political. Stewart especially is a very important dem weapon. He rarely, if ever, criticizes the party. In fact, he endorses the party in most episodes.