The Simpsons' 17th Treehouse of Horror episode, which aired last night, made probably the
strongest political statement of the show's 18-year run. (I welcome challenges to that statement in the comments.)
As a lifelong fan, this is a proud moment.
For those unfamiliar with it, The Simpsons is usually politically neutral, occassionally breaking into light satire of either party.
Last night's episode was probably seen by about 10 million people.
I'm not sure how much analysis I can offer, except to point out that the Simpsons (in my opinion as someone trapped in a liberal bubble) does a pretty good job of representing mainstream America. While I can picture the writers sitting around saying "we ought to make a political statement right before the election," I don't think they would have done this if most of their viewers wouldn't be sympathetic to the message.
Second only to the upcoming election results, this is the sweetest possible testament to the fact that we are finally turning a corner on the road we've travelled since 9/11.
Bold statement I know, but I do love the Simpsons.