Daily Show Fans Smart. Fox News Fans Stoopid.

As if you needed anything more than anecdotal evidence to prove this point. But for those of you gearing up for to do little election debating with an overly enthusiastic, red-state relative, here's a fun little study to cite from the Pew Research Center:

A new survey of 1,502 adults released Sunday by Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that despite the mass appeal of the Internet and cable news since a previous poll in 1989, Americans' knowledge of national affairs has slipped a little. For example, only 69% know that Dick Cheney is vice president, while 74% could identify Dan Quayle in that post in 1989.

Other details are equally eye-opening. Pew judged the levels of knowledgeability (correct answers) among those surveyed and found that those who scored the highest were regular watchers of Comedy Central's The Daily Show and Colbert Report. They tied with regular readers of major newspapers in the top spot -- with 54% of them getting 2 out of 3 questions correct. Watchers of the Lehrer News Hour on PBS followed just behind.

Virtually bringing up the rear were regular watchers of Fox News. Only 1 in 3 could answer 2 out of 3 questions correctly.

Pew Survey Finds Most Knowledgeable Americans Watch 'Daily Show' and Colbert [Editor and Publisher]