Maher vs. Stewart

I'm a little puzzled as to why these two are not compared more often. Let me pick up the slack.

Bill Maher:

William "Bill" Maher, Jr., (born January 20, 1956; last name pronounced /mɑɹ/) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He hosted the late-night television talk show Politically Incorrect on Comedy Central and ABC, and is currently the host of the weekly Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. He is known for his political satire, most of which comes from a left-wing perspective mixed in with some libertarian notions with regard to issues of personal pleasure, such as drug legalization and prostitution. However, the notion of Maher having any sort of libertarian credentials is highly disputed (See below). He skewers the right-wing with particular ferocity, but also occasionally challenges leftist orthodoxy and the notion of political correctness. (source)

Jon Stewart:

Jon Stewart (born November 28, 1962) is a Jewish American comedian, actor, author, and producer, best known as host of The Daily Show. The popularity of this late-night show has earned Stewart notoriety as "the most trusted name in fake news", a reflection of his purported stature as the "Walter Cronkite" for a younger generation. He has also gained attention as an outspoken critic of established news media sources. (source)

Ego buildup: (Maher wins)
Maher in general has been more modest since being fired from his trademark show "Politically Incorrect." You can see him delivering soundbites with a hint of hesitation. Still he favors and devotes more airtime to shocking one-liners that are entertaining as well as ture-ringing, if at the expense of excessiveness. The man is cocky within the realm of verity.

Stewart's humble beginning of a hit-and-miss career takes its tolls and protrudes into soaring ego following recent years' success. The man is arguably more intelligent of the two and perhaps than most if not all those in his playground of show biz. He pitches more political jargons, all amid gags result in some members of the audience scratching their head and playing catch-up.

Risible bits: (Stewart wins)
Real Time's "New Rules" proabably is the funniest segment of the show but it obviously puts entertainment above all. Guest's outbursts often render delicious surprise.

The Daily Show has got excellent doses of laughing gas. It's hard to pick one particular funny segment but I thought "This Week in God" when Steven Colbert was still on takes the cake. Often hilarious parts include conversations between delusional correspondents and sound-of-reason Stewart.

Eccentricity: (Maher wins)
Let's face it, after years of satire-dishing, cult-like following, and physical comedy (mostly facial) acting both hosts display some less than desirable behaviors occasionally. Although the energy of these men is the heart and soul of their respective shows, one can't help but think sometimes they're either drunk, high, or edging ever so close to insanity, which annoys the heck out of some guests, Stewart more so than Maher. Of course I'm really being choosey here.

Bottom line: (a tied game)
Real Time with Bill Maher, more resonable and sophisticated due to the panel format, suffers from a certain entertainment quota. Also the quality of the panel guests often dictates the level of intelligence on the show. One hour of Real Time per week is about as satisfying as a double quarter-pounder and as clear as a pellucid brook.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report (come on! these shows are the two sides of one coin and the brainchild of Stewart), brilliant while boisterous at time, strike a fair balance among themselves and Maher's HBO slot.