Okay, I think I’m starting to understand David Letterman lately. In his older years, possibly inspired by what he sees going on in the world, he’s trying to make more of a difference than just being entertaining and original and funny and adored. Be it his recent foray into political screeds, his campaign against the evil that is Spencer Pratt, or the unrelenting third degree he gave Anne Hathaway about her stealy ex (that could very well have been the breakthrough she needed to joke gracefully about the whole thing on SNL a few days later), one thing is becoming clear: David Letterman is becoming a (much) smarter, (much) funnier, (much) more allowed-to-exist version of Dr. Phil. Case in point: Sarah Silverman’s appearance on the show last night, in which Dave tried to get Sarah to talk about her breakup with Jimmy Kimmel. It would have been annoying (as a shallower version was on The View last week) if Dave didn’t really seem like he actually thought the two crazy kids should be together. It was sweet. And Sarah deflected it in a typically hilarious way: by painting John McCain as Letterman’s abusive ex. “He hurt you. And I don’t want to see him hurt you again.”:

Sarah promised that if Obama wins, she’ll come back on the show and tell Dave how the whole Kimmel thing went down. So get out there and vote!