You're right. Comic book references are never funny because comic books are for nerds and homos! Only make references to things like football and Lee Greenwood songs. Stuff normal people care about.
The reduction of complex political issues into leisurely sports and comic references is not good for the general person's consciousness of what is happening in the government.
People need to have the governmental literacy to understand the actual literal literal happenings going on with the leaders they are electing.
Just because the team captain of the 49ers isn't able to slam dunk as many field goals as he used to doesn't mean you should replace him with a rookie enforcer when you're about to go to plate against the New York Patriots.