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John Oliver Explains His Love for Tim Kaine: ‘He Is America’s Step-Dad’

2 minute read

John Oliver danced his way on to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Wednesday night to break down the Democratic National Convention. Oliver did not want to discuss President Barack Obama or Joe Biden’s rousing speeches; instead, he focused entirely on Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s pick for vice president, saying, “I’m all about Tim Kaine.”

“If he’s going to be America’s step-dad, that was an exemplary performance,” Oliver said of Kain’s DNC speech. “The level of dad jokes and impressions that came out of that man’s soft face. He is a tall glass of Lactaid.”

Oliver said he “needed Tim Kaine so badly” because watching the Republican National Convention the week before was so discouraging. He and Colbert agreed that Kaine is “the cool step-dad.”

“I just needed a break from everything,” Oliver said. “This has been just 18 months of hell, and I needed step-dad to come in and tell me it was going to be OK.”

Colbert later shifted away from politics and gave Oliver a moment to respond to the new teaser for the Netflix reboot Gilmore Girls, in which Lorelai (Lauren Graham) asks Rory (Alexis Bledel), “Do you think John Oliver would find me hot?”

“Lorelai, the answer is yes, I do find you hot,” Oliver said. “And I’ll tell you why. I’m a red-blooded male with an in-built heat detector and my heat detector registers you as en fuego.”

“Do you know who would sound good saying that?” Colbert asked, before they both said in unison, “Tim Kaine.”

Watch the video below.

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Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com