Well Played, Sir

The most astounding aspect of this speech (other than that he actually went through with it) is Colbert's composure. He's essentially walking into a room and insulting the President to his face, and he never once flops a sweat. In front of the press, no less, and he slags on them for good measure.

This speech is a testimony to composure and structure. Sure, it's sardonic and snarky from the beginning, but as it wears on it grits its teeth. The beginning really comes off as nothing but good-natured ribbing with everybody comfortably laughing, and ever so slowly Colbert starts circling in on his targets, taking aim. By the end of the second part, Colbert’s laying waste to everyone around him. The beauty of the speech though is that Colbert laid the groundwork that allowed him to truly speak his mind. If he had come out unapologetically wailing from the beginning, it would have been a lot easier to just cut his mike. He earned his burns, and let that be a lesson to us all in patience and precision when giving a speech.