Irony of Satire
… there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements.
Science shows we’re all wearing blinders — I think the genius lies in Colbert’s fabricated persona: open to many interpretations.