A lot of folks miss Jon Stewart. On the Daily Show, Stewart and his crew of sidekicks had a way of humorously breaking down and explaining issues like no one had done before. The Daily Show literally opened up a new genre of news, done with comedy and levity, that no one has matched since. As the old saying goes, “often imitated but never duplicated.”

Jon Stewart is back. Well, actually he came back in late 2021.

No, not on the Daily Show, but on his own show/podcast, The Problem With Jon Stewart. The show streams on Apple TV+. The format has been successful, apparently, as it is now going into its 3rd calendar year. But perhaps this show needs to be available for a wider audience — because it is brilliant.

The show often includes some snark and humor, but sometimes, it gets serious. Stewart shows that he is more than just a funnyman. There is no better example of this than last week when Jon Stewart sat down to interview one of the biggest gun advocates in this country, Oklahoma State Senator, Nathan Dahm.

The subject was the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. The right to bear arms. The Senator thought he had a locked down argument, but after a few minutes, it was obvious that Stewart had him in a vice. Courtroom lawyers wish they could cross examine a witness like Stewart did as he unpacked and threw away each talking point the Oklahoman tried to use.

Stewart began with the premise that being for unfettered gun rights is “bringing chaos to order.” Of course, Dahm disagreed. So Stewart went through every other issue to show how this position was in total opposition to every other view he and millions of other self described “conservatives” have.

He did it with immigration, where today’s conservatives want tougher laws and more order. Then he turned to police, where gun laws make their job harder, despite their claims to support the boys in blue.

Stewart made it clear he isn’t trying to ban guns, but supports things that would bring a better order to our society. Things like registration and better background checks. Things like technologies today that would give each bullet a “fingerprint” making gun crimes easier to solve. All of these are things Dahm and other pro-gun folks are adamantly against.

After toying with Dahm, Stewart brought up the right to vote. Dahm agreed that voting is a right. Stewart then started driving a stake through the heart of the pro gun argument in the following exchange:

Stewart: So you are saying that registering is an infringement?

Dahm: Yes

Stewart: Ok, is voting a right?

Dahm: It is a right for citizens, yes.

Stewart: Do you have to do anything to do it?

Dahm: Yes

Stewart: What do you have to do?

Dahm: It depends on the state

Stewart: What do you have to do?

Dahm: Sometimes you have to be 18 years old

Stewart: What do you have to do?

Dahm: In some places you have to have a government issued ID

Stewart: What do you have to do?

Dahm: You have to be on the voter rolls

Stewart: You have to …. register. You have to register. You have to register for a right. Is that an infringement?

Dahm: Does the right to voting say shall not be infringed?

Stewart: Oh, so this is just a semantic argument now?

Dahm: No, its not

Stewart: You believe voting rights can be infringed because it doesn’t say specifically “shall not be infringed.”

Dahm: Is it an infringement on a 17 year old’s right to vote since they don’t have that right to vote.

Stewart: No, absolutely not.

Dahm: It isn’t an infringement on them? Why not?

Stewart: Because you’re the one making the argument, not me. I’m saying even rights have responsibilities. And within those responsibilities … (is) order, otherwise its chaotic.

Then Stewart twisted the knife …

Stewart brought up his support for banning drag performers reading to children. Dahm tried to spout out some nonsensical stuff but Stewart pinned him down:

He asked Dahm if drag performers reading to children was “free speech.”

Dahm responded by saying that it was, but restrictions were needed to “protect children.” More specifically he said “the government has a responsibility to protect children.”

Stewart then asked Dahm what was the leading cause of death is among children — and he gave him a hint, it isn’t drag performers reading to children.

Dahm responded by arrogantly saying “I presuming you are going to say it is firearms.”

Jon Stewart then pounced, “No, I’m not going to say it, like it is an opinion — that’s what it is, firearms. More than cancer, more than car accidents. And what you are telling me is, you don’t mind infringing free speech to protect children from this amorphous thing you think of. But when it comes to protecting children that have died, you don’t give a flying f*ck to stop that because that “shall not be infringed” — that is hypocrisy at its highest order.”

Earlier in the interview, Stewart pointed out that the trend of having more guns in the population is consistent with the number of people dying from guns. More guns = more death. Stewart asked Dahm when that trend will reverse … Dahm couldn’t answer that either.

Check out Jon Stewart and Dahm in the full segment below, you’ll be glad you did …