Today is January 20th, 2013. President Obama has just given his inaugural address.
California governor George Clooney is laughing it up with Senator Franken on the lawn of the Capitol.
They are deep in discussion...trying to pinpoint the exact moment that things started to turn around for the better in America.
"George I gotta tell ya...it all started...with the Colbert thing."
Clooney looked at Franken with inquisitive eyes.
"I don't remember that, Al." Clooney replied, with a deep brooding scowl typical of an intense George Clooney.
"Because you were in the fucking Sudan, George. Well, at least that's all you were talking about."
George's eyes lit up.
"Ah...the correspondents dinner!"
"That's right my boy. That was the moment. Do you remember now?" Al asked, with a furled brow typical of an intense Al Franken.
"Yes! Eureka! I remember...At first the media tried to bury it, right?"
"Yes my boy. Do you remember why?"
"Well the whole speech was an indictment! They were ashamed and embarrassed and everyone felt really uncomfortable."
"Yes! The media and Washington saw themselves in the mirror, and they didn't like it one bit. So there was some nervous laughter, but mostly fat red faces."
Franken took a deep sip of his champagne. He wiped his lip before he spoke.
"But it backfired. What they didn't count on was a massive netroots uprising. It was early in the digital age, and the blogs didn't have much control of the media."
Clooney scowled again. Yes, the deep, brooding scowl.
"I remember, yes. But they wouldn't shut up about that fucking Colbert speech."
"That's right George! They just wouldn't let it go. Day after day, diary after diary, daily...hourly emails...it was a mess... But then it happened."
"What was "it", Al?"
"Well George, "It" was a combination of things. First of all, the netroots efforts eventually got the video in the hands of millions of people. People saw something powerful in that speech. They saw a man who was once just an ordinary comedian become something else entirely. He stood in front of the most powerful man in the free world, and made him his bitch...metaphorically speaking..."
Al sipped some more champagne.
"Everyone who saw that video became part of The Colbert Nation. The sheer balls of Stephen Colbert united and mobilized millions of people. They realized all they needed was a common cause to fight for, in this case the gigantic brass balls of Colbert."
George smile broadened as he spoke.
"Yes. I remember. From that moment on, the Colbert Nation became a force. People realized they could stand up...rise up against the powers that be. The media did not work for them, so they became the media. In the end the Democratic party became a party of the people again. The Republican party furthered descended into what it always was...but was so clearly defined that fateful day... A fucking joke."
Al's face got serious as his furled brow unfurled and then furled again.
"But a sad joke. A lot of people suffered and a lot of people died because of that joke of an administration. But in the end, it was the jokes that united us. Jokes written by..."
"Stephen Colbert!" George shouted as Colbert appeared from near thin-air.
Stephen Colbert looked at Clooney and Franken with utter disgust.
"Peasants! Get these fake-tanned elite Hollywood liberals away from me. They smell like Patchouli and Botox!" Colbert shouted, as he brushed past with his "OBAMA=OSAMA" sign.
"We will be back in 2016!" Colbert shouted as he eventually faded into the distance.
Clooney pulled out 2 cigars and handed 1 to Al. He lit em up and patted Al on the back.
"No they won't...they won't ever be back."
And Al and George had a great laugh.